The Fine Line Between Right and Wrong
by monty shen
Summary: Light's desire to live when he was killed doesn't go unnoticed. Transported back to the past while retaining his memories of the future, Light travels down the road of discovery as he saves the world...and the one he loves. L/Light, Namikawa/Mido maybe...
1. Rebirth

Hey there peoples! Before we begin, we, Shannon and Jennifer, would just like to warn you lot that we're both kind of new to this site and this is our first fanfiction...ever, so please don't flame! We know it's a little fast paced in the beginning, but we're to lazy to fix it , sorry. Hopefully everyone is sort of in character, but sorry if they're a little OC...eheheh...

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Death Note or any of the characters associated with it...

Chapter 1: Rebirth

Watching contentedly from nearby, Ryuk looked on as the 'first Kira' suffered a heart attack. "Heheh, thanks for providing me some entertainment, Light, it was most amusing."

"Damn…it…" Light Yagami uttered. _'Am I really gonna die?' _he thought to himself as he felt a gradual warmth encasing his body. _'Is this what it's like to die?' _As blackness surrounded the young genius, the last thing he saw was the shinigami, Ryuk, laughing. Then, his eyes went blank and lost the lively glint they once held, as he slipped into oblivion.

Suddenly, Light became acutely aware of his senses. At first, he had judged that he was lying down, but upon further concentration, Light deduced that he seemed to be floating…floating? _'Huh?'_ he asked himself.

As he cracked an eye open, a searing white light greeted him and his reflexes closed the eyelid. Waiting a few moments, he tried again. This time, slowly letting his eyes adjust. Blinking, Light evaluated his surroundings.

Everything was white. But there was no 'everything', there was only nothing. As far as the Yagami could see, it was just endless light, and nothingness. Floating in an endless space was a totally out of body experience, and even Light was having trouble quelling the panic that was beginning rise. "What is this?" he asked, and then flinched a second later, surprised he could hear his own voice.

"This is the place where those that have truly done wrong go after they die," a voice answered back.

Eyes widening, Light turned around in circles, frantically trying find the source of the voice. This strange world was scary enough, but to know that there was some greater being out there wasn't doing much to help keep his composure. "Where are you? Who are you?" he shouted.

"Relax," a figure ordered, as it appeared out of nowhere, first showing up as a fuzzy shadow that had no real outline, "relax, young spirit."

_'I'm a…spirit?'_ the former Kira gasped. "Who are you," he called out again.

The figure came into view and revealed it to be a girl. She was a head shorter than him, and slim, with a gorgeous mane of flowing waist-length hair the color of the darkest night.

"My greatest apologies, but it's been so long, I don't seem to be able to recall my own name," she sighed. "A pity, really. You may call me whatever you want, I suppose."

Light frowned, "What do mean 'it's been so long'?"

The girl laughed, "Don't worry, I'll answer all your questions in due time." Still smiling, the spirit began to explain. "As I have said before, this is the land that the ones who have truly done wrong go after they die. It is neither Heaven nor Hell…I seem to have forgotten it's name as well…too bad, you'll have to forgive me."

"Mu," Light interjected.

"Huh?"

"This place," he gestured around him, "It's called Mu, right?"

"…Mu…Mu…that name certainly does ring a bell. I can't be certain about that, but I can tell you this, once you enter this world, it is nearly impossible to leave."

"Meaning, you stay here for all eternity," Light clarified.

"Correct," the girl confirmed. "At first glance, one would assume that this isn't such a bad situation, ne?" when Light nodded, she continued. "But that's the entire reason for which this system was created. This whole place is a torture chamber that tests one's endurance and patience. There is nothing to do here, and that is the real punishment; a lifetime, no, a forever, of boredom."

"I…see," Light blinked, "so, why are you here? What did you do wrong?"

The girl was still smiling, abate, it didn't reach her eyes. "I don't quite remember the details, but I believe…" she said as she tapped her chin. "That I had accidentally acquired a Death Note…yes, that was it, I had used a Death Note and the shinigami that it originally belonged to…Rik, Ru…ah, Ryuk, that was his name, and that Ryuk wrote my name in his. …But wait, he claimed that the one I had was his, so that would mean, he had two Death Notes."

Light scowled, "You too, huh?"

"You had a Death Note?" the spirit gasped.

The Yagami nodded, "I knew Ryuk as well."

"…"

"Look, I don't mean to sound hasty or anything, but you said it was 'nearly' impossible to leave. But, from what I've heard, it _is _impossible. You must obviously know something that the shinigami do not. Does that mean there is a slight chance, that one could escape?"

The girl seemed to consider the matter for a moment. "Yes, there is a way…in theory."

"And what's that?" Light didn't mind the girl's company, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his spirit's consciousness fighting himself in order to keep from going insane.

"I want you to close your eyes for a second."

Light obeyed. After all, he couldn't find a reason not to trust her, but when he felt someone kiss his forehead lightly, his eyes immediately flew open on their own accord. "What th-!" Slowly, as he watched, the girl started fading away right in front of him.

"I have given you my soul, Light Yagami," she whispered, "use it well."

Light was speechless to say the least, "W-wait! What do you mean? Without a soul, you-!"

She laughed again, "That is the key to leaving this place; the possession of a soul is not yours."

"But that would mean…you…" Light's head ached; even his spirit had its limits. This was too much, especially after his death in the human world.

"Don't worry about me," the girl reassured him. But when he still didn't look comfortable, she elaborated. "What if I put it like this? You get to return to the world of the living and I get relieved of my boredom. It's a win-win for both of us."

"I suppose. Then…" Light paused, "what happens when I return to the real world?"

"You'll have to excuse my incompetence in that matter, but I do not know. I can see the history of your life flashing before my eyes at this very moment. I will," she informed him, "pick a time for you to return to. The rest is up to fate; I do not know what will happen after that. I'm sorry."

"That's alright," Light managed a smile as he looked into his companion's eyes, "you've done enough already. Thank you so much, I don't think that I deserve this."

Outwardly, he might look like an innocent soul, but inwardly, his mind was already beginning to come up with a plan.

"Oh you do," the spirit said confidently. "I can feel that you are still full of life…and love. Your future looks wonderful from my point of view. It's a shame you had to have gotten involved with the Death Note and Ryuk."

_'…Love…?'_ That took Light by surprise. He had never loved anyone, with an exception to his family, but…what did they have to do with any of thi-

A second later, the spirit with no name disappeared and Light's body thrummed with the most painful sensation of his young life. The pain, it was unbearable! It was as if his body was being turned inside out. No matter how hard he tried, Light couldn't rid himself of the feeling. The pain didn't cease, it just got worse. Worse to the point where he thought his body would just rip apart and explode.

Finally, after what seemed like a millennia, the pain went away and left Light feeling cold and stripped of his old sense of self. It was as if the feeling had cleansed him of his past sins. The weight of all the guilt that had built up inside of him was gone and his conscience was already lighter. Exhausted, he closed his eyes as the world once again turned black.

Then, as if some unseen force was put into play, Light could hear a voice. Unable to do otherwise, the Yagami surrendered to the calling and let himself go.

"-ight! Light!" a voice repeated.

Snapping back to reality, Light became aware of someone saying his name…a very annoying and insistent someone. "…mph…"

"Light, please wake up," the voice continued.

"W-what?" he mumbled. Rolling over, Light peeked his eyes open and was greeted by a not so welcome sight. He was facing bars, lying on a cot, and was listening to…that voice…L! _'This is…when I gave up both Death Notes and turned myself over for surveillance in order to prove my innocence!'_ Light was shocked, '_So, this is the time that she chose for me…well, it couldn't have worked out better.'_

"Are you feeling alright?" L asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Light replied, rubbing away the last remnants of a splitting headache. "Why?"

Back in the control room, Ryuzaki took another bite of his strawberry cake. "Well, you were just tossing and turning for a few hours. I thought I should wake you up so you wouldn't have to come to on the ground."

"Oh…thanks, I guess," Light smiled slightly, looking out into the hallway. When he realized he was drifting, he sat up and stared at the floor. The recently resurrected Yagami was still a bit dazed, but the situation became clearer every second.

'_Why would she send me back here?'_ he asked himself. _'…especially here? And…I have memories of the future! Everything is working in my favor. Now, I can use this information to correct the mistakes I made last time. Also, since Ryuk isn't present, or at least I can't see him, that must mean that I have already relinquished my ownership of the Death Notes…no matter, all according to plan. But…now that I know the outcome of it, should I still proceed? Yes…now that I know the outcome, I can revise my tactics and outwit Near-'_

"Light," L's voice sounded through the speaker, disrupting his train of thought.

"Yeah, what is it?" he inquired.

"How are you feeling?" L asked, sounding genuinely worried.

"I'm alright," Light answered, after a second of hesitation. _'If I continue with the plan, would I kill L…Lawliet…again? …could I kill him again?'_ Light doubted he could. Even after getting Rem to do it the first time, he had lost many hours of sleep just mulling the matter over in his head. _'No,'_ Light realized, _'I won't be able to kill Ryuzaki a second time, once was enough."_

'_Is that why she sent me to this time? Did she expect me to change the course of what will happen?'_ Light questioned himself. _'To learn from my mistakes, to take back what I did? Then…what would I have been planning everything for?!'_

"Light," L continued, "It's been forty-nine days since you've requested to be confined here, and no new criminals have died. Do you have anything to say about it?"

'_Ryuzaki, you lying bastard!' _Light mentally swore. _'The criminals never stopped dying, you're not telling me the truth! Tch, maybe I could kill you again. But, on the other hand, you're only doing you're job aren't you…you're only doing what you have to do to get me to confess…'_

Light opened his mouth to spit back a retort, but closed it again at the last second. "I have nothing to say about it, Ryuzaki."

L licked his spoon, "Very well then, you may rest, Light Yagami." After shutting off the microphone, the sugar-loving genius began talking to himself. With his voice loud enough for Matsuda and Aizawa to hear, they couldn't help but eavesdrop a bit. "I don't understand, none of this is making any sense…Watari, bring me another cake, please. Perhaps that will help me concentrate."

Matsuda looked at Aizawa, "If even Ryuzaki is confused…"

"Don't," the other admonished. "L has tackled every case and succeeded in cracking every single one flawlessly. Why would this be any different?"

"Because," Ryuzaki interrupted, "there are so many variables that we don't know about in the situation. We still can't figure out how the Kiras kill. We still don't know who the Kiras are. And we definitely don't know how to catch them. There are too many risks involved with just approaching this matter like it's any other case. No, this occurs under entirely different circumstances. The hard part of this isn't trying to solve the mystery, it's how to work around all the obstacles with as bloodshed as possible. After we do that, it will be much simpler."

"…right," Matsuda laughed nervously.

Aizawa sighed, "So, what do you think so far?"

Ryuzaki actually put down his favorite food, "To be entirely honest with you, I don't know what to think."

Back in the cell, the younger Yagami sat on the edge of the cot, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes. He could feel the guilt creeping into his chest again.

_'Was what I did really wrong?'_ Light remembered everything, and along with that, the questions just kept coming. _'Last time, after I was let out, I asked Ryuzaki…if he thought that I was capable of…killing all those people…and he…said yes…he'd always believed I'd been able to.'_

_'L…you knew it was me all along…the person you declared your first friend…you knew I was Kira the whole time…'_ Light frowned. _'And yet…why? Why would you do that. Why would you still consider me a friend?'_

Lying back down, he faced away from the camera. _'How hard must that have been on you, Lawliet._' Light chuckled faintly,_ 'No wonder you said you were depressed. I do suppose that it was a legitimate reason, knowing that I was Kira, but being unable to prove it no matter how hard you tried because I never messed up. But to die, knowing that your friend had lied and betrayed you without thinking twice about it…how hard must that have been on you?'_ Hot tears made their way down his cheeks, soaking into the pillow.

Light felt sick, to put it mildly. _'What happed to my resolve? What happened to my ultimate goal?'_

And there it was, Light finally realized, _'I'd gotten so caught up as Kira and I was so excited about the challenge of outwitting L, that I…became selfish and started using the Death Note out of my own personal interest…'_

"Damn," he shuddered, "I'm so stupid…"

"Hmmm?" Ryuzaki paused, a spoonful of cake halfway to his mouth. "What's this?" He studied Light for a moment and then called for his assistant. "Watari, please rewind the tape back 30 seconds."

"Of course," Watari quickly brought over the remote and arrived at the appropriate time.

"Thank you," the detective dismissed. "Aizawa, Matsuda, come take a look at this with me."

As the two police officers walked over, Ryuzaki started the tape. "I want you to see if you notice anything."

They watched the tape. After it was done, Ryuzaki relaxed, he hadn't been wrong after all. But Aizawa and Matsuda, well, they were having a little more trouble.

"I-is it because Light is actually purposely sleeping facing away from the camera?" Matsuda inquired, scratching his head.

Ryuzaki started, "Interesting, you have it right…for once, even if it is just part of the matter."

The bachelor froze, "W-what?! …I…I'm right here, you know…"

"I didn't see anything suspicious," admitted Aizawa.

Ryuzaki turned his attention back to the screen, "It's not something suspicious. I'll play the video again. Now, this time, pay close attention to Light's shoulders."

Rewinding and playing again, they studied the footage. "Riiiight…THERE!" The detective paused the tape. "Did you catch that?"

"…not really…" Matsuda laughed sheepishly, "sorry."

L sighed, "That's alright. We'll watch it again."

After reviewing it a third time, Aizawa caught it. "It's not really noticeable, but at 19:23:06 you can see his shoulder shaking a little."

"Very good, Aizawa!" Ryuzaki exclaimed. "I agree with you completely. The action is barely perceptible, but nonetheless, the fact that you saw it means that it is really there. Now," he deduced, "if I were to guess, my assumption would be that he was crying."

'_But, why would he be doing that? Unless…the confinement is finally getting to him…no…there's something off here. When I asked him about the killings, he said he had nothing to say, but for the past few weeks, whenever I've even mentioned them, he would automatically protest and yell that he wasn't Kira. Again…I don't understand what is going on here…"_

"If that's the case," Matsuda stated, trying his very best to sound professional, "Then the question is, why would he be crying?"

"Exactly, I was just wondering the same thing," Ryuzaki nodded. "Let us hope that Light will tell us directly when we release him tomorrow, but first," Ryuzaki pressed the button for cell three. "Mr. Yagami, would you care to come out and have a little talk with me?"

The elder refused to back down, "As I have said before, Ryuzaki, I will only leave if it is with my so-"

"I am planning on releasing your son tomorrow, Mr. Yagami, but I have some conditions I must go over with you first." Ryuzaki informed him, "So, I would greatly appreciate it if you would come down to headquarters."

"…" Soichiro wasn't sure what to say.

Ryuzaki sighed, "I just want to talk some issues over with you, if you are unhappy with my conditions, you are free to go back to your cell, it won't be going anywhere. And, if you want my personal opinion, I think it would be best if you took a break."

After a moment's consideration, the man gave in. "Very well, Ryuzaki, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Wonderful, Mr. Yagami," Ryuzaki clapped his hands, "I will have Matsuda escort you back."

Clicking the microphone off, the super genius acknowledged the police officer. "Well, Mr. Touta, you heard me. Why don't you go and fetch Mr. Yagami?"

"U-uh, yes sir!" Matsuda saluted his employer, only succeeding in earning a few sighs.

Finally able to calm himself down, Light started to drift off into a slight doze, but his brain was still on overdrive.

'_Ugh, is killing every single bad person in the world such a crime? Wait…if my goal is to kill everybody who has ever committed a felony, then, how many people would that be? …and also, technically, that would mean I would have to kill myself. NO! Don't even go there! This world is rotten, and those who have made it rotten deserve to die!'_ Light's mental battle raged on as he slept fitfully. _'I don't know what to do! What's the difference between right and wrong? What separates dreams from hopeless wishes? All I want is for this world to be a better place…right?'_

_'Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about that now. Yes, focus on something else. What do I do when Ryuzaki starts questioning me? It's already been forty-nine days and I was released on the fiftieth…' _Light buried his face in the pillow. _'Why does this have to be so damn difficult? It seems like just a while ago, I was dead in a world where nothing existed. Should I just act like I did befor-'_

"Light?" L's voice sounded over the speaker again. "Are you awake?"

"…mph…" Groggily rolling onto his back, Light sat up, choosing not to look directly at the camera. "I am now…Ryuzaki. What do you want?"

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" the detective pressed.

_'Why does he keep asking me that? It's not as if he cares or anything. No, it's not 'what does he care about', it's 'what does he get out of it'?'_ Light lifted his head, "Yes, I think I just need some sleep, that's all."

Ryuzaki persisted, "You do seem a bit tired. Are you positive you're be alright?"

"_Yes_, Ryuzaki," Light stressed, "I'll be perfectly fine in the morning." Not wanting to be pestered any further, the former Kira lay down, once again, facing away from the camera.

_'What the hell? He just asked me how I was…three times, no four times in the span of just one conversation.'_ Light scrunched his eyebrows,_ 'He's never been so insistent before…am I acting suspicious. Shit, maybe he's seen through my act and it's been what? An hour?! What am I going to do tomorrow, since I know he's going to release me. Oh gods…dad…Misa…the execution…how am I gonna pull that one off?'_

"Damn it," he cursed softly, "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

There was a knock at the door, and the detective looked up. "Come in."

As the two guests entered, he turned around in his chair. "Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr. Yagami."

"Hm…" the deputy director nodded.

"I assume you are well?" L inquired.

The elder scowled, "Get to the point, Ryuzaki."

"Very well then. I'll cut to the chase." the detective obeyed, as he reached for a sweet. "How much do you believe in Light Yagami's innocence?"

The officer frowned, "I am absolutely positive that my son is inno-"

"Matsuda, please leave. Thank you," the other interrupted.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Matsuda stuttered, "O-oh, right, s-sorry…"

After the door closed, the younger resumed their conversation. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Before you come to a conclusion, I want you to take a look at this situation from my point of view."

Soichiro blinked, "Your…point of view?"

"Yes," L nodded. "I want you to evaluate this as a police officer attempting to solve a case, not as a father trying to protect his son."

"I don't see how there's a difference!" the Yagami exploded. "No matter how I look at it, whether from a professional or personal angle, Light, my son, will still be innocent!"

"Here we go," Ryuzaki sighed. "Mr. Yagami, first of all, please calm down, as you are disrupting my ability to think straight. Second, even if you deny it, your decision is hindered by your emotions. I understand that you are a father and just doing as one would, but when you are in this room, the Kira case is a strictly business-related topic, understood?"

"…a…u…very well, Ryuzaki," he relented.

"Good," L said, as he poured himself a cup of coffee, "It's nice to see that we're finally on the same page."

The elder snorted, "We will never be on the same page."

"…I see," L muttered. "Nevertheless, let me explain my points of argument to you."

"Go on," Soichiro mumbled.

Ryuzaki bit at his thumb, "Alright, here is my theory. Light Yagami, conscious or not of the fact, was Kira. There is no doubt about that. Now, somehow, he doesn't have any recollection of his past memories, but Kira is still killing people. Therefore, I suspect that Kira's power passes between people. If that is the case, then the culprit will be nearly impossible to catch. But the question still remains. If Light was Kira, was it his choice to pass on his powers, only to have them returned to him at a later date after he was cleared of all charges, or was it the will of some third party, watching over us all?"

The Yagami took a moment to process the information. "I understand the point you are trying to make here, but I'm afraid that I can't keep up with you. It would be best just to ask Light yourself…"

"Interesting," the younger commented in monotone. "Because, I was just thinking the exact same thing."

"…" the elder was taken aback.

"Well then, that is settled. I shall visit Light as soon as I get a chance." Ryuzaki said, reaching for the sugar cubes. "Now, onto the terms of his release."

"Terms?" the Yagami raised a brow.

"Yes, the terms." *plop* L dropped a cube into his drink, "I am willing to go to great lengths to investigate Light. No matter what the extreme, will you corroporate with me?"

"Yes," Soichiro consented, rubbing his forehead. "Anything to get my son out."

"Of course," the other countered, "There is always the possibility that he will not agree to my conditions. But that can be discussed at a later date, for now, why don't you go and get some rest."

"Understood," the deputy stood up. "I'll have Matsuda escort me back."

Ryuzaki took a sip of his now sweetened coffee, "If you insist."

Resuming his now routine staring, the detective glared at the security monitor. "What are you hiding, Light Yagami? What do you plan on doing?"

Sighing, he got up and padded his way to the door. Glancing back once more, L decided against his original plan. Swiftly walking back to the screen, he turned if off. "Even if I wanted to review the footage later, I probably wouldn't find anything worth looking into anyway," he mumbled as he shuffled towards the holding cell.

Quietly opening the door and stuffing the key into his pocket, Ryuzaki observed Light as he slept. _'Beats watching from a camera,'_ he smiled. "Light?"

Honey colored eyes snapped open at the sound of another person's voice. Awkwardly maneuvering himself so that he was facing the intruder, he sputtered, "R-ryuzaki! What are you doing here?"

Reaching over, the elder undid the leg and arm bindings, allowing Light to move freely again. "I was worried about you, Light," he admitted.

The Yagami was confused, why the heck would…freaking goddamn L be worried about…him?! "You…were?"

"Yes, I was," he repeated. "But I also came down here for another reason. I am going to let you out tomorrow."

'_Shit! Shit! Shit! Now he's gonna propose that stupid car stunt that I actually fell for last time. What am I gonna do? Okay, stay calm, maybe there's still a chance that I can avoid that scenario.'_ "R-really?" Light asked stupidly.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" L deadpanned.

"Ahhhhh," Light answered, "no."

"There you go, you just answered your own question. Someone give the boy a prize!" L threw his arms into the air comically, but sobered up just as quick. "Alright Light, I came here because I wanted to ask you something."

"And what is that?" the younger wondered aloud.

"I know you are adamant about not being Kira, but just listen to my theory and tell me what you think," L reasoned. "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Now, he has no memory of ever being or dealing with Kira. Somehow, Light's powers were passed on to someone else, who then assumed the role of Kira. My question for you is, would it have been your will for the power to be passed on, or was it someone else's?"

"From the evidence you present me with," Light confessed after a moment's pause, "It probably would have been my will."

Smiling, the detective replied, "Wonderful, thank you for that. I can tell you that I feel ninety-nine percent better. Well, I'll leave you untied for now, but please, don't try to escape…or kill anyone."

"Tch, as if," he snorted.

"Good night, Light," Ryuzaki said. "Your father and I have already discussed some terms of your release, so you will be let out tomorrow. But we will go over them later, you need your rest. Sorry for keeping you up."

"No problem," mumbled Light. "I'll sleep well tonight. Thanks for leaving me untied."

Nodding once, Ryuzaki left the cell and the other in peace.

TBC...maybe...

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Shannon: GAH! you totally messed up the ending!

Jennifer: GOMENASAI!!!! I'M SORRY!!!!! but i'm tired and mentally braindead, cut me some slack okay? i already wrote this three times for you!

Shannon: I suppose, but do better next time!

Jennifer: fine fine, whatever, have it your way...i'm going to bed -_-zzzzzz

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So? How was it? Hopefully not too bad... ^.^;

Constructive criticism is always welcome, for we are aware that we could use a lot of advice, but please review and tell us what you think. In case you're wondering, the next update will probably be within two weeks to a month, sorry we're slow writers, but, what can we do? But remember to review and give us your feedback!


	2. Second Chance

OMG!!!!! We were so shocked at how many reviews we got, that we just haaaad to post the next chapter!_ I know we had said two weeks to a month, but we were so excited that we couldn't help up update soon. And we apologize in advance to any OOCness that you guys don't like..eheh..._ And we are aware that this chapter follows the story very closely, but this is hopefully the last of it, we are planning for the next one to be more original. _So, live with it a little longer, mkay?_ Sorry if this is a sucky chapter, as mentioned, we rushed to get it done ^^'

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Death Note or any characters associated with it...we feel stupid now, we forgot to put this in chapter one *hits Jennifer on the head* 'Stupid, you forgot it!'

Chapter 2: Second Chance

_'What am I going to do with you, Light?'_ L thought, as he shuffled up the stairs to the control room. _'One minute you nearly confess to being Kira and the next you claim that you were framed.'_

Ryuzaki sighed, "I'm so confused." Pushing the door open, he made his way to his chair. "Watari," he called out, "Bring me a slice of cake."

"As with wish, Ryuzaki," the kind man obeyed. Watari had long since gotten used to his young charge's eating habits, but still, every time he reached for one of those calorie packed sweets, he couldn't help but worry. Quickly retrieving the said item, he plated and presented it to the other.

"Thank you," L nodded appreciatively. Checking the clock and seeing it read 22:41:52, he quickly added, "And could you bring me another cup of coffee?"

"Of course," the elder replied, swiftly leaving the room.

_'Is Light really Kira?' _the detective began to bite at his thumb. _'If he is, he's putting up a pretty convincing act. But if he isn't, he could contribute so much to the investigation. He's so capable, but while that is an advantage, it's…like a double-edged sword, as he put it so long ago. Because he is so intelligent, that makes him a valuable addition to the team, but that makes him all the more dangerous. I have to be that much more careful when dealing with him. If I make even one mistake, or miss one little detail, then the whole case, and perhaps even my life…not that I'm worried about dying…could go do the drain…'_

-----The Next Morning-----

L stared dejectedly at the screen. He'd been up all night trying to sort out the mystery that was the only son of Soichiro Yagami, but so far, he'd gotten nowhere.

It wasn't that he couldn't make sense of anything that bugged him. It was that he was certain that Light Yagami was Kira and Misa Amane was the second Kira, but he couldn't prove it, no matter how hard he tried. _'Kira is definitely no someone to underestimate. He does not overlook anything and is careful not to act rashly, sounds exactly like Light…'_

Suddenly, the door slammed open with a bang. "Ryuzaki, have there been any indications?" the police chief asked urgently as he hurried in with a flustered Matsuda.

The detective turned his swivel chair around so he faced the two police officers. "No, there haven't. As of right now, your son is still sleeping peacefully."

The chief heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness."

L began to bite his thumb again. "Yes, thank goodness for you, but it doesn't indicate anything for me. Your son could very likely still be Kira, and we wouldn't know it. Though, as we all agreed, I will release Light and Misa from their confinement."

Matsuda started, "Would you like me to go get the-"

"No," Ryuzaki snapped. Then he paused a second later, realizing he was being overly harsh, "Sorry, I just meant that I would like to have a word with Light in private before we proceed with anything. Is that alright with you, Mr. Yagami?"

The bachelor slumped. Soichiro glanced at the other sympathetically before nodding to Ryuzaki, "Of course."

"That's decided then. I want you to turn the security camera off, Matsuda, when I give a signal. Is that understood?"

"Off?" the Touta was confused.

Ryuzaki stared at him with disdain, "Yes, off, I don't believe I stuttered. If you had been paying attention earlier, you would have heard me mention the word 'private'."

Matsuda laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Haha, riiiight. S-sorry."

Soichiro sighed, "Why don't you go now, Ryuzaki. I want my son out of there as soon as possible. And, by the way…why is he untied?"

"Do you have any objection to it?" the genius asked.

"…no…"

The detective got out of his chair and made his way to the door, passing the other two as he went. "I thought we had discussed that I would visit Light after our talk, did we not?"

"So, you only went to untie him?" the elder questioned.

Pushing the door open, the younger stepped out of the room. "Not exactly. I also asked him about a few things, but that is none of your concern, Mr. Yagami."

Then, he left, leaving two very confused assistants standing there dumbly in the middle of the room.

Walking down the stairs to the holding cells, L sighed. _'This situation really is getting out of hand.' _

As the detective approached Light's cell, he began to wonder. _'Why DID I leave him untied yesterday? Was it really because I felt sorry for him…or was it something else?'_ Ryuzaki slid his hand into his pocket, fishing around for the key. "It doesn't matter anymore, he's untied and he's still sleeping, that's all that counts," he murmured to himself as he reached the barred door.

Careful to be quiet, the detective softly entered and closed the door behind him. Waving to the camera, he watched as the red light blinked once then turned off. Moving against a wall, L settled down and waited for Light to wake up.

He didn't have to wait long.

Light immediately tensed when he felt someone enter the room. In truth, he hadn't been sleeping at all. He'd been thinking, plotting, devising a plan to avoid today's events. There was no way that he could genuinely act as if he wasn't Kira, Ryuzaki would know right away.

'_Eh,' _the Yagami thought to himself, still facing away from the intruder, _'too bad. If I can't change it, might as well make the first move…'_ He took a deep breath and whispered, "I know you're there, Ryuzaki."

"How long have you been up, Light?" the elder asked, not really surprised that the other had been faking it.

The Yagami contemplated his answer for a few seconds, "About an hour or two, I think, there aren't clocks in here, you know…"

Squatting down, L informed his suspect, "I'm aware of that. And by the way, the camera is turned off, so you are free to say anything you want to me without the fear of anyone overhearing us."

Light sat up slowly, "Thanks."

"For what?" Ryuzaki asked, genuinely confused.

"For respecting my privacy," the younger stated, "and…leaving me untied, I guess."

"No problem," the elder responded, scrutinizing the other. _'…interesting.'_

"Ryuzaki…" Light began.

"Hmmm?"

"Yesterday, you said something about the 'terms of my release', what did you mean by that?" he asked.

"Well, we haven't gone over the specifics, but your father agreed that he would go along with anything I throw at you," the sleep-deprived detective explained.

Light was suspicious, "Anything you…throw at me… What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh," Ryuzaki answered nonchalantly, "I have made arrangements with Watari about how you will be monitored outside of this cell. Seeing as to that your mental state wouldn't have been able to handle much more, your father and I felt that you should be released as soon as possible. As for Misa, we'll have to do something about her as well, but I already have a plan, so that won't be an issue. Of course not, the real question here is, will _you_, Light Yagami, cooperate with whatever I present?"

Light paused for a moment, but looked up a second later with a new glint in his eyes. "Fine by me, we'll catch Kira, together."

"Good, I look forward to working with you," L smiled. "But for now, follow me."

Stretching briefly, Light got up on wobbly legs and followed Ryuzaki out of the cell. The first time he'd made his way down here, he'd been blindfolded, but now, he paid attention to ever detail.

"So, Ryuzaki," the younger drawled, "Now that I'm being let out, does that mean that I'm cleared of suspicion?"

'_What's going on, this didn't happen last time!'_ Light's mind tried to process what was taking place. _'It was Aizawa who came to get me the first time, Ryuzaki didn't even show…'_

"No, Light," said person explained, "you are not cleared of suspicion. In fact, I intend to investigate you all the more by accompanying you on all of your daily activities."

'_Oh, shit! Not the handcuffs again!' _Light groaned, "Are you serious, Ryuzaki?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he asked again.

"No!" Light yelled. "But is that really necessary? I mean, I have a public life and…I don't think you want to tag along…"

"I'm afraid that you won't be returning to your normal activities," the super genius warned. "If you recall, you said that you wanted to catch Kira, together. So, you will be helping with the investigation full time, and therefore not returning to school."

_'Ah well, worth the try…' _"Bu-" Light started.

Before he could finish, Ryuzaki interrupted, "I have already informed your family and I'm sure your father can come up with a legitimate excuse that won't impact your reputation."

Light sighed, no getting out of this one. "Alright."

They had reached the door to the control room and made their way inside. Walking in, they found that Aizawa had finally arrived and was currently in the process of putting his pants on.

"…"

"…"

"S-sorry!" he stammered. "Getting through the security system was tough today. They had me walk through a metal detector for some reason and nothing I did would help, so…"

L nodded absently, "Understandable, but you must have realized the reason for all of this."

"Oh, sure," he answered. "I'm not complaining or anything, it's just…you know…"

The detective raised a nonexistent eyebrow, "Actually, I don't know, but I get your point."

At that moment, Watari chose to stride in purposefully. In his hands was a long slender box. Stopping before his charge, the opened it to reveal a pair of handcuffs.

Light moaned, "You have got to be kidding me…"

"When I said we'd be together all the time, I meant every word of it," the other deadpanned. "This way, where you go, I go and where I go, you go…I will keep the key. Thank you, Watari, you may leave now."

Clipping Light's left wrist to his right one, Ryuzaki examined the cuff. "Not too tight, I hope?"

"No," the younger gritted his teeth, "they're fine, just perfect if you ask me…"

"I'm glad you like the-" Ryuzaki commented, but paused when the door slammed open, revealing a very excited Misa Amane.

"LIGHT!!!!"

The bubbly girl jumped on her boyfriend, nearly crushing him in her bear hug. "Oh, I missed you sooooooo much! Are you alright?"

Matsuda closed the door quickly as Ryuzaki answered in place of an overwhelmed Yagami. "Light was perfectly fine. His living conditions were even better than yours, I believe."

"Humph!" she snorted, "Like I'd believe you! Are you sure your okay, Light?"

"Of course, Misa," he faked a smile. "I'm perfectly fine, see?" Raising his hands, the teen effectively showed off his new jewelry to the shocked fashion model.

"OH MY GOODNESS!!! Liiiiight, what happened?" Misa screamed.

The elder winced, "Shshshsh, look, Ryuzaki said that we'd be chained together so that he could keep an eye on me the whole time I'm out of that cel-"

"You mean…you still suspect us?" Misa shouted, turning on the detective. "After all we went through, you STILL suspect us?"

"Yes," L confirmed. "I still do, and this," he indicated the bonds, "are just a safety precaution."

"Whyyyy?" the girl whined annoyingly.

The sugar loving genius twitched, actually twitched! The action didn't go unnoticed by Light however, "Misa, why don't you relax a little."

"…Okay…" she consented.

"From now on, we'll be together 24/7," Ryuzaki explained. "And I will spend every minute of that time observing Light."

"Wow, Ryuzaki," Misa grinned devilishly. "Looking at you, I never would have guessed. Are you on that side of the fence? Or-"

"I told you already, Miss Amane," the elder narrowed his eyes. "I'm not doing this because I want to."

"But Light's MINE! I don't want to share him with you!" she proclaimed.

"I understand that he's yours," L sighed. "I believe we've already established that. Besides, neither me nor Light would ever consent to such a thing."

"You're such a pervert, you know that?" Misa pointed out, hands on her hips.

Ryuzaki resisted the urge to groan, "Light, please make Misa stop talking now…"

"Listen Misa," Light began, "That's enough. Frankly, you should be thankful that we're even being let out. So, just make do with whatever you have."

"Incase you've forgotten," Misa pouted. "I'm your girlfriend. How could you say that to your own soul mate?"

Light flinched, "Soul…mate? Incase _you've _forgotten, Misa, you were the one that initially fell in love with me, remember?"

Tears began forming in the dramatic girl's big doll eyes. "B-but Light, how could you say that? Why would you kiss me if you didn't love me? You took advantage of me? …STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!" she shouted as she began raining blows onto Light's chest, not doing any damage, but still annoying the shit out of Aizawa, who couldn't stand Misa as it was.

"About this love at first sight thing…" Ryuzaki interrupted. "I've been meaning to ask you about that for some time now."

"Hmmm?" Misa asked, clinging to Light. "What is it?"

"How much do you love Light?" Ryuzaki asked.

"I love him with all my heart," Misa declared.

"What would you do if Light really were Kira?" L questioned, carefully analyzing the girl's reaction.

Misa gasped, "What would I do if Light really was Kira? I'd love him even more, of course!"

"But this is Kira, you'd love him even more for that?" the detective continued skeptically.

"Mhmm," the model purred, rubbing against her 'boyfriend'. "I'm a supporter of Kira, so if I found out the my Light really was him, then I would just try to find some way to be of help!"

Ryuzaki sighed, "Well, based on what you just said, there can be no doubt that you are the second Kira, but you've made it so painfully obvious that I don't really want to believe it."

"It's not believable," Misa said, running behind the other and sticking her tongue out at the insomniac, "because I'm not the second Kira!"

"Right, right," L went on. "But you must return to your room now, for the investigation still needs to proceed. Watari, please escort Miss Amane to her room."

"Let us go," the elder commanded.

Sighing, the model consented, "Bye Light!" she said, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

After they were sure that the girl had left, the six of them continued their conversation. "Aizawa," Ryuzaki acknowledged, "You may calm down now…"

"I'm…trying…it's just, she is so annoying!" Shuichi rubbed his eyes.

"Yes," L agreed. "I suppose she is. Light, do you really love her?"

Snorting, the Yagami chuckled. "No way, like I told you before, this is completely one-sided."

They were interrupted by a harsh cough and both looked to its origin.

"Is this what you meant by 'extreme', Ryuzaki?" Soichiro questioned severely.

"What? Oh, I suppose…" the detective answered vaguely. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, and he shook his head to clear it.

Light regarded the other closely, "Ryuzaki, are _you_ alright?"

"Hm?" the other acknowledged him, "yes, I'm fine."

"…If you say so…" the younger shrugged. "Then, could you do something about this system of moving from hotel to hotel ever few days? It's starting to become a hassle."

"Yes, If fact, I had that same thought a while back," the genius recalled. Walking towards his laptop, and effectively dragging Light along for the ride, he specified, "Construction started after my first meeting with Mr. Yagami and should be completed in a few days…where is it? Ah, here it is."

On screen, a picture of a tall black/midnight blue building popped up. "Twenty-three floors above ground and two below," L bragged. "Although it is impossible to tell from the outside, there are two helicopters hidden on the roof…"

"Amazing…" Light breathed.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" L commented dryly. "I intend for us to spend as much time as possible in there once it is completed, especially Miss Amane. Though, I doubt that she will have any complaints, for she will have her own floor. And if the investigation team grows, it can house up to sixty people."

"Where did you get the finances to build this thing?" Matsuda marvled.

Light swore he saw the corner of Ryuzaki's mouth curve a little. "Where I get my money," L alluded, "Does not concern you."

"Excuse me," Aizawa argued, "But I don't see how that's an answe-"

"No," Light interrupted, "He's right. We'll do whatever it takes to find Kira, it doesn't matter what the cost or how we achieve it."

"Exactly," Ryuzaki nodded. "But first, I will take Light upstairs so he can change and dress in some decent clothes."

"Are the handcuffs really…necessary?" Soichiro pleaded. "I mean, this is my son's privacy you're talking about…"

"I have already taken that problem into account, hence why the chain is so long. And, they are in fact necessary," L lectured. "Simply because changing is the perfect time to do…whatever Kira might do…" he said, looking pointedly at the flabbergasted Light.

"Y-you don't mean tha-" he blurted.

"Oh yes, I do mean it," L repeated, "No let's go."

_'Hopefully that wasn't too bad, he seemed fooled enough…'_ Light analyzed his act as he was led away. _'I repeated many of the words I used last time…or at least, as many as I could remember. I'm just glad he didn't pull the car stunt, that would have had me cornered…' _"Don't worry Dad, if this is what it takes to prove me innocent, then I'll be happy to comply."

After they were in the hallway, Ryuzaki spoke up, "You do realize how wrong that sounded, right?"

"Hmmm?" Light snickered, "Oh, that, sure!"

"What are you trying to take me as, a pervert?!" L brooded.

"Perhaps," Light joked, "Perhaps not…"

Three flights later, Ryuzaki decided that leading Light up the stairs was a difficult job. Spending fifty days cooped up in a cell unable to walk, really did a number on his leg muscles. "Are you tired, Light?"

"No," the younger insisted, although already leaning heavily on his companion.

"Come on then, hurry up, we have work to do," L teased.

"Tch, whatever," the Yagami grinned.

Finally reaching the designated floor, they stumbled into Light's already prepared bedroom. Shutting the door softly, L padded across the carpeted floor and pulled open a wardrobe.

Picking out an outfit that he knew Light wouldn't refuse, tan khakis and a maroon long-sleeved shirt, Ryuzaki pushed the drawers closed. Snickering at a panting Light, he led the other to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, the elder regarded the other.

After standing there staring at each other for a few seconds, Ryuzaki smirked. "What are you waiting for?" the detective joked. "Me to undress you?"

"Okay, now, you really are a pervert!" Light fumed. Scowling, the Yagami pulled down his pants, revealing black boxer briefs and slipped out of his socks. Ryuzaki reached into his pocket and briefly undid the cuffs, allowing the Kira suspect to tug off his shirt. Immediately clipping it back on after the article of clothing was discarded, he turned his head away.

Blushing slightly, the younger hesitantly pushed down his boxers and quickly slid into the shower. _'What in Kira's name am I blushing for? I've done this so many times before, what's different about this time? And thank the Shinigami that these chains are long so that we don't have to shower together..."_

Light spent the first few minutes just standing under the pulsing water. Letting it pound his aching forehead felt nice and allowed him to relax for once. Looking through the steamed glass, he saw Ryuzaki's silhouette leaning comfortably against the wall, right arm moving occasionally as he moved his left. _'What's going to be different this time?_' Light asked himself. _'Ryuzaki's been acting…oddly these past few hours. What could possibly be wrong? Am I acting suspicious or something?'_

Little did Light know, but the elder was also thinking along the same lines._ 'What's going on with me? I keep getting this…feeling, and I can't quite put my finger on it. GAH! What _is_ it?! This…this _drive_ to make sure Light is all right, that he's not hurt in any way…why can't I figure this out? It's as if my conscience is telling me to…protect him from something. But what, if anything, am I supposed to protect him from? He's not in any danger here. And besides, as long as we're chained together, we meet the same fate…right? '_

Absent-mindedly watching a droplet of water roll down the mirror over the sink, L snapped out of his reverie. How long had it been? _'Long enough for condensation to form on a mirror and 'rain' fall.' _"Light?"

Flinching slightly at the sound of another voice, Light stuttered, "Y-yeah?"

"Are you almost finished?" Ryuzaki reminded, "It's been a while…"

"Oh, sure," Light said, almost sheepishly, "I-I'll be right out!"

Clean and feeling refreshed again Light opened the shower door a crack and grabbed the towel that his captor handed him, drying himself off.

"You can change in there," Ryuzaki said as he handed Light the clothes piece-by-piece; first the boxers, then the pants. Moving the side to allow him to step out, the elder quickly undid the restraints again. Speed-dressing the rest of the way, they both hurried out of the room, lest the others, especially Soichiro, got suspicious.

Jumping down the stairs, Ryuzaki asked, "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Glancing at his elder, the Yagami grunted, "No, I suppose it wasn't."

Slowing their pace down to a leisurely walk, they entered the temporary headquarters. "Done already?" Aizawa mocked.

"Yes," Light hissed, "We're done already."

Matsuda laughed, "Done already? It's been three hours!"

Light's eyes widened, looking to his dad for confirmation, all he got was a nod. "Damn," he muttered. "…um…"

"Where were we in the investigation?" Ryuzaki prompted.

"Actually," Mogi answered. "We were just heading in for the night, it's already around 19:00 and frankly, we can't survive off of cake…"

"…or candy," Matsuda added.

"Eh, Ryuzaki?" the chief piped up.

The genius turned to his senior, "Yes, sir?"

"About the issue of the handcuffs…" he pointed out.

Turning to the rest of the team, he addressed them, "If you want, you are all free to go out now," Ryuzaki consented. "But Light is obligated stay with me. Considering that we cannot be separated and I refuse to leave this building unless in an absolute emergency, he is under no circumstance allowed to leave unless I accompany him."

"But he will be under my supervision," the elder objected.

"No matter how you deny it," repeated L, "Light is very much your son, and your decisions are hindered by your emotions."

"Don't worry Dad," Light reassured. "I'll be perfectly fine."

"Very well," Soichiro finally caved. "I suppose for the good of the investigation…"

After the others had left, Ryuzaki turned to Light, "I suppose if you really wanted, you could go home…"_ 'If he says 'yes', I do hope that it doesn't come back to bite me in the blubber…'_

Light raised an eyebrow, "No, it's alright."

"Good. Watari, bring us some cake, please!" Ryuzaki called out. "You are fine with cake for one night, aren't you?"

"Of course," the Yagami smiled.

-----Two months later--- (after the incident with Matsuda)----

"If I were to pose as L," Light judged, "Then the one with the most influence, but least likely to be Kira is…Namikawa."

The two of them, Ryuzaki and Light, had settled into a schedule surprisingly quickly, but considering that Light had already gone through the process once before, it probably wasn't so much of a surprise to him. The first few weeks had been awkward, but they eventually got used to and even started to enjoy each other's company.

It had been hard for Light at first, with all his memories, to act clueless, but he soon found that if he acted from his heart, it was easier. He'd come to realize that yes, the Death Note had corrupted him, but now, he had a whole new view on what he had to do. Help Ryuzaki…Lawliet…clean up the mess he'd made.

Glancing one last time at the screen, the younger Yagami punched in the numbers. _'It worked last time, it's now or never…'_

In the Yotsuba meeting room, the tension was palpable. Behind their immaculate and some not so perfect façades, most members had the same thoughts: which one of us is Kira?

One particular member, Reiji Namikawa, had had his suspicions about this individual, whoever he may be, when he had first joined, but now, they were confirmed. With the death of Hatori, he was convinced that this had gone too far. Even if he had been the one to admit that he was 'relieved', that was only a lie. As cold-hearted as he appeared, that was just a mask to hide behind.

He listened to the others talk. To be completely honest with himself, he realized, there weren't many people here that could actually be trusted. _'Mido was one, he was always intellectual. Perhaps, Shimura or Kida…that might be pushing it…'_

Then, he felt his cellphone vibrate in his left pant pocket. Opening it up, he scowled, _'I told everyone not to call m-this number cannot be displayed?! What the hell?'_ Putting the device to his ear slowly, he answered hesitantly, "Hello?"

"Is this Reiji Namikawa, head of the Yotsuba Industry's Marketing Department?" a machine-like voice asked.

Hiding his panic, the Yotsuba member answered calmly, "Yes, and who is this?"

"Listen carefully," the voice began, "I…am L."

_'What the fuck? Should I alert the others? No, remain calm. If I draw attention to myself and Kira notices, then I'm done for.' _"I see, well, uh, go on…"

"If you are not Kira, or someone who can contact him, then let's make a deal," Light proposed.

Namikawa gasped softly.

"We will finish this conversation after your meeting is done, but for now," Light went on, "I want you to delay the deaths of Mr. Zenzai and the men from ELF by a month. I understand if you have doubts about my plan, so allow me to prove that I am really who I say I am. I have place cameras and wire taps all over that room. Even as I speak I am recording footage of your entire meeting. You started out by discussing Hatori's death. Now, you're arguing about whom to kill next. Am I correct?"

Namikawa's eyes narrowed, "Yes." _'Damn it! This really is L! If he's recorded this, then he has all the evidence he needs to incriminate all of us…what do I do?' _

"Don't tell anyone about his call, keep this between you and me for now," Light coaxed. "It would be a shame if I had to arrest you right now, so just watch from sidelines, if that helps, and we will talk about it at greater length soon."

"Alright," the agent answered smoothly, "We'll sort it out later then."

Closing the phone, Shimura frowned, "Namikawa, who was that?"

"Oh, nothing," he lied easily. Inwardly, he smirked, _'always the cautious one, that Shimura.' _"One of my men just messed up again, I'll have to deal with it on Monday. But let us get back to business, shall we?"

A half hour later, just as Namikawa walked back into his office, his cell phone rang again. "Yes?"

"I wish to discuss with you the issue of Kira," the voice announced.

_'Someone's in a rush…'_ Namikawa thought smugly, "I expected as much."

"I need your help in uncovering the suspect," Light said over the phone.

Namikawa raised a perfectly sculpted brow, "And what can I do?"_ 'my help? What use could I possibly be to him…or her?'_

"First of all I want you to keep a close eye on whoever you suspect to be Kira," Light started.

"_First of all_, L, or whoever you may be," Namikawa stressed, "What makes you think that I'll actually play along?"

"…" Light knew he had to choose his words carefully. "I cannot tell you what you can or cannot do. I am simply assuming that you are anxious to see this Kira disposed of."

The Reiji's eyes widened, "_This_ Kira? You mean there are more than one?"

In the control center, the real L glared at Light, who winced. Covering the phone with one hand, Light turned to Ryuzaki. "Well?"

L pursed his lips, "Tell him," he commanded.

"Yes," Light admitted. "If my deductions are right, there are three Kiras."

"Three…" Namikawa's mind began churning. "And how do see our situation?"

"…dire." Light joked, earning a glare from this partner.

"Ha!" Reiji scoffed. "So, the great L has a sense of humor. Well then, allow me to ask you something. Who do you think Kira is?"

"I have a few people in mind," Light tried.

Raising another eyebrow, Namikawa wondered, "And who might those people be?"

"Judging from their actions on tape isn't the most logical way to act, but if I had to suspect anyone," Light offered, "It would either be Takehashi, Ooi, Mido, Shimura, or Higuchi."

"So you really have no clue, huh?" the elder chided. "Well, I suppose I can do some of your dirty work for now. While it is true that I want Kira gone, I have no intention of fully devoting myself to this…case. Is that understood?"

"Very well," Light sighed with relief.

"By the way," he added, "What's in this for me? I do expect some payment…"

"If you cooperate with me, Reiji Namikawa," Light offered, "once I catch Kira, you and the others that oppose him will be acquitted of all charges on the pretense that he blackmailed you into participating in these meetings."

He considered the offer. _'What should I do? If I accept, then theoretically, I would have the upper hand. In the situation where he does catch Kira, I am free to go, and if he doesn't, well, I can attempt to get close to him and possibly even eliminate him.'_ Namikawa smirked, "Very well," the man accepted.

Light smiled, "Then I will contact you in a few days."

Hanging up, the Yagami turned around, only to be met with a foot in his face. "You idiot!" Ryuzaki roared.

Rubbing his chin, Light scowled, "Look, Ryuzaki, I'm sorry, okay?"

"First revealing that we are aware that there are three Kiras. Second, joking during a negotiation. And third, disobeying me about NOT alerting them that the investigation had caught up!" the detective ranted. Huffing, the elder called for his trusted assistant. "Watari, please bring me some food. And Light, don't you dare mess up like that again. Or I'll make you go under a different name!"

"…sure," he sighed._ 'Ryuzaki sure has been moody lately, I wonder what's going on…'_

The Ryuzaki calmed at the sight of cake. "Forgive me, I've been feeling rather irritable lately. Perhaps some sleep would do me good…"

"Exactly!" Light prompted. "Let's go upstairs right now."

Nodding in consent, Ryuzaki followed this suspect upstairs. "Never mind the cake, Watari!"

Reaching their bedroom, Light was dragged in at record speed. "Whoa, are you alright?"

"Mhmmm," the elder replied, "Just a little sleepy, I guess."

"Are you…sure?" Light prodded.

"Yes, I'm positive, it's probably just the stress that's getting to me," the other snapped. Then he rubbed his brow, "I'm sorry I yelled, but…just get in bed already!"

The two of them had taken to sharing a bed, as to it was uncomfortable to have to stay half awake all night making sure that you didn't pull of get pulled off the bed. And plus, they both always woke up with strained arms and that affected their ability to type the next day.

The only downside to sharing was that, every few mornings, Light, who always woke up second (when Ryuzaki even managed to sleep), would sometimes find himself cuddling up to the other or lying half on top…those were embarrassing moments. His cheeks flared just at the thought of it.

"Is _Light_ feeling alright?" the elder inquired. "You look a bit warm…"

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine." Light paused, "Aren't you…going to change?"

"No," Ryuzaki shook his head, "Too tired…"

"Will you at least let me change?" Light whined.

L gave him a blank stare, and it was then that he saw just how dark the bags under the other's eyes were.

"N-never mind, let's just get some sleep…"

----------------

Jennifer: Again, sucky ending, I know, and I'm extremely sorry!

Shannon: Yes, you should be, and what's with this thing of L being tired, he's NEVER tired!

Jennifer: I repeat, I AM SORRY!

Shannon: hn

----------------

Good? So-so? Bad? Please review and tell us what you think, we promise the next chapter will be soooooooo much better...

And thanks to everyone who commented! We love you guys, you're are inspiration! :D


	3. Awkward Encounters

We apologize if this was a little late for some of you, we got off to a bit of a rough start last week...eheh. _You guys know how middle school teachers always cram in an entire lesson in before the break...I always hated that...anywho, we're sorry!_ But consider this an early Thanksgiving gift, happy early turkey day!!!! XD

_So, yeah, we tried to make up for it by giving you guys a little bit of lime...just a little. _Since Jenn's the one writing this (because I suck at writing), please don't yell at her if it's not believeable, she tried her best and I'm very proud of her! :D_ While on the subject of limes, Shannon here, *cough cough*, proposed to higher the rating up to M...I honestly don't care (if you guys can put up with my cruddy lemons), so it's up to you readers. _

_As a response to Byakko Ta's review, we have just finished reading Poison Apples. _It was amazing and we're sad to inform you that our writing does not compare, but we'll try our best! Thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed! You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer: Jenn and I don't own Death Note, and we don't make a profit off of this story, but I admit, that would be nice...

Chapter 3: Awkward Encounters

_'I feel…warm…and comfortable…'_ Light thought as he gradually woke. He moaned at the feeling, "Mmmmm," snuggling deeper into his pillow. Then, feeling his 'pillow' stir under him, he started. Blinking honey-colored eyes open sleepily, his gaze met silky black strands of tousled hair. Carefully lifting his head, Light found himself lying half on top of a peaceful Ryuzaki, their legs tangled and his arms around the elder's neck. _'Shit, not this again! And…why do I always wake up on top?'_

Blushing darkly, Light returned to his former position, trying his best not to wake the rarely sleeping detective. Breathing in the soft scent of strawberry cake, he marveled, _'L's FINALLY sleeping!'_

Light slowly turned his head, watching contentedly as the elder slept. The first thing he noticed was that the bags under the detective's eyes had lost their deep purple hue. The second thought that entered his still half-asleep brain startled him wide-awake._ 'He's…kind of…cute when he's asleep. Oh, for the love of Kira, this is so embarrassing! I'm acting like some love struck hormonal teenager.'_

"Which is basically what you could be considered," Ryuzaki mumbled. The vibrations from his throat reaching Light, whose head still rested in the crook of the other's neck.

Flinching, Light stuttered, "D-did I…just say that…out loud?"

Snuggling closer to his bed buddy, Ryuzaki smirked, "I'm afraid you did, Light. You wanna tell me about it some more?"

Rolling off of the perverted bastard, Light sat up and glared, "No… I'm…sorry you had to wake up to…that…"

"Ugh," the detective groaned. Pulling the younger down again, he rested his head on top of Light's, "Stay here, I want to sleep some more…"

Now, Light was starting to get worried. '_What's going on here? Ryuzaki wants to cuddle, but Ryuzaki NEVER cuddles. Ryuzaki wants to sleep, but Ryuzaki NEVER wants to sleep. Ryuzaki is teasing me, but Ryuzaki NEVER teases me…'_ "Are you oka-?"

Before Light could finish, the elder interjected. "By the way, Light," he inquired, eyes still closed, "You mentioned 'for the love of Kira'…should I be interpreting something from that?"

Frowning, Light sighed heavily, "No, you shouldn't, it's merely an expression."

"Hm," L agreed, "I suppose so."

From his vantage point, Light studied the insomniac closely. The tension lines from last night had all disappeared from his face, the sugar loving genius looked happy…for once. "Ryuzaki?"

"Yes, Light?" L groaned.

Hesitantly, the Yagami asked about their current positions, "Uh…why are we doing this?"

"Because it's comfortable," the sleepy detective murmured.

"Wha-?"

Suddenly, Ryuzaki yanked Light up by his shirt and slammed their lips together. The two of them just stayed like that, their lips touching, it probably couldn't even be considered a kiss. For, Light was too stunned to move and L was too embarrassed. After several frozen seconds, they broke apart.

L, being the first one to regain his voice, apologized immediately, "Forgive me, Light, that was unnecessary. I…don't know what came over me…"

"I…you…" the younger was speechless. The feel of Ryuzaki's lips on his lingered and he lifted a hand to them, "It's…okay…"

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, before Light leaned up slightly and captured the surprised detective's lips with his. _'They're so soft'_ Light marveled, as he hesitantly probed with his tongue, running the slick organ over those pillow-soft lips. Getting over his initial shock, Ryuzaki parted his lips and welcomed the intruder. Their tongues caressed each other, sending electric jolts through Light's body. He literally melted in Ryuzaki's arms. Groaning softly at the sensation, Light shyly ran his tongue over the roof of the other's mouth before L decided to return the favor. After a few minutes, the pair broke apart, both breathing hard and flushed with desire.

"I-I guess it's my turn to apologize," Light said, blushing deeply.

Ryuzaki leaned down and quickly pecked the younger on the side of the mouth, "No problem…"

Light just buried his face further into Ryuzaki's neck, too embarrassed to look his companion in the eyes.

"Come on, let's get dressed," the elder suggested, and Light nodded eagerly, praying that the awkwardness would go away.

------------15 minutes later-------------

"Ah, Ryuzaki, Light, there you are!" Soichiro Yagami called out as they walked in. "What was the delay?"

Mentally, Light cringed, "Oh, it was nothing, Dad. Ryuzaki was actually sleeping, so I thought we'd let him get some rest."

L shot his companion a glare and nodded absently, "Yes, well, I was rather tired last night…"

"It's good to see that you've gotten some rest," Watari noted as he strolled in carrying a tray of sweets.

Eyeing the cakes and cookies hungrily, Ryuzaki was eager to get to business. "So, Mogi, have there been any leads?"

"No," reported the officer, "Not as of right now."

"I see," muttered the lead detective, not really surprised. "Mr. Yagami? Anything updates?"

Pushing his glasses up, the elder cleared his throat, "Yes, actually, there was one…"

"Oh?" Ryuzaki paused, a spoonful of strawberry cake halfway to his open mouth. "What is it?"

"We got a short message from Reiji Namikawa, sent to us via the email you provided him with," the chief informed.

Light nodded, "And? What did it say?"

"…" the elder Yagami shrugged. "It said that only L was to see it, so…we didn't open it yet…"

"Hmmm," the sugar deprived genius sighed. Bringing his cake and Light with him, Ryuzaki padded his way over to his laptop and sat down.

Quickly opening his e-mail, he clicked on the message and smirked. It read:

_For the eyes of the man that calls himself L._

Downloading the attachment, Light and the others looked on eagerly.

_14:00 September 19_

_the café next to Yotsuba_

_be there, we'll talk_

_I've found something important_

Rereading the message three times, L sighed. "What do you make of it, Light?"

Furrowing his brows the teen grumbled, "I don't like it…especially if I have to go too…"

Chuckling softly, the elder took a bite of cake. "I suppose so, but I personally would like a chance to meet Mr. Namikawa in person…the nineteenth, that's today isn't it?"

"Yeah," Light quickly put a hand on the other's shoulder, not noticing that the touch lingered just a fraction longer than needed. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" the Yagami asked, genuinely concerned. "I mean, what if he's Kira?" _'I'm sure that Namikawa can't be Kira, but right now, I'm the concerned friend that doesn't know anything about what's going to happen. Anyway, this is taking a completely different turn than last time. What if…Higuchi isn't Kira? In any case, I'll have to be careful about what I say or do-'_

"I understand your concern, or rather, I don't, but my point is," he took another bite of cake, "you see," Ryuzaki explained, "if you look at it as a bystander, not as a friend, there are many opportunities that come with this scenario. First, if Namikawa really is Kira, and I die during or after our meeting, abate, within a relative time frame, then that should be substantial proof that he is Kira. Second, if he isn't Kira, then we can discuss matters in greater detail in person."

The police chief agreed, "I can't oppose this suggestion, but I must request that my son not attend."

Light tensed, _'If I'm separated from Ryuzaki…no, it's not that…I don't want to be separated from Ryuzaki…'_ "Actually, Dad, I…think I'll be alright."

Startled, the elder Yagami wasn't sure what to say, "L-Light…"

"Seriously, I'm willing to take as many risks as Ryuzaki is in order to capture Kira," Light reminded. "I'm nineteen now and just as much part of the task force as he is, I'll be fine, don't worry."

Suddenly, Aizawa opened his mouth for a second, but closed just as fast, shaking his head and looking away.

"Hm? Is there something you would like to say?" L encouraged.

"Well, I don't know whether to feel sorry or smart for saying this," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "But another possibility could be that, if Light is Kira, then the two of them could plot something against Ryuzaki…"

Light blanched, "What!? Whose side are you on, anyway!"

"Look man," the Shuichi held his hands out, "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Light, I must ask that you calm down," L scolded gently, grabbing the Yagami's arm lightly. When the younger did as he was told, Ryuzaki continued to talk, "I believe that Aizawa has an excellent point. But, for now, I trust Light enough to let him help me find Kira." He shot a pointed glance at said person, _'especially after this morning…'_

"But, Ryuzaki," Soichiro pleaded, "It'll be questionable for the both of you to go out with your wrists chained together, I mean, people with start thinking, and…we have a reputation to uphold!"

"Yes, Mr. Yagami," L frowned, "I understand, I was planning on removing the handcuffs anyway."

"Ryuzaki! A-are you sure?" Light asked concerned. "I mean, you were pretty adamant about keeping them on before…"

The detective raised an eyebrow, "Would you rather keep them on?"

"…"

"I thought so," L chuckled.

"Well, if you put it that way…very well, but Light, promise me you'll stay safe," the police chief insisted.

"I'll do my best Dad," Light said, smiling genuinely.

"Then you may go," Soichiro consented grudgingly.

---------- 5 hours later------------

Light and L took their time entering the café, as not to draw attention to themselves. Grabbing the booth towards the back, they waited for their guest.

"It feels…odd," Light commented suddenly.

"Hmmmm?" L looked at the younger. "What does?"

"My wrist," he smiled, shaking his head slightly. "If feels empty without that chain…"

Smiling as well, Ryuzaki smirked, "I never thought you'd say that…ever…"

"Neither did I," Light agreed truthfully. "Thank you, though."

Waving the waitress over and ordering three coffees and a slice of strawberry cake for himself, the elder nodded, "No problem, but I have to confess that it was as much for your benefit as it was for mine…"

"Hn," Light shrugged, glancing towards the storefront.

"After all," L continued, "It would be…odd for two people to be handcuffed together, especially two men, wouldn't you think?"

Light couldn't help but laugh at that, "Yes, I think so, Ryuzaki."

They had snagged the booth at the very back corner of the café. This way, nobody, except for the occasional waitress or a passerby, would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. The café in itself was quite appealing, with elegant furniture and a soft piano concerto tinkling in the background, it was no wonder that the Namikawa had chosen this as their meeting spot.

"What's your plan?" Light questioned casually.

"I'm not sure," Ryuzaki admitted thoughtfully. "Reiji Namikawa…I had Mogi do some research on him…"

"I was aware of that, Ryuzaki," Light commented dryly, "I was there, remember?"

The elder took the cake that was handed to him eagerly, "Thank you."

The waitress paused. She was wearing a too-tight t-shirt with a too-low neckline and a mini-skirt that was so short, it almost showed the thong that was undoubtedly underneath. Leaning over slightly, she addressed Light, "Is there anything that _you_ want? Anything at all?"

Scowling lightly, the Yagami spoke through gritted teeth, "No, I'm perfectly fine…and is that the outfit that all the waitresses wear?"

Attempting to pull off a sexy simper, the girl just ended up looking like an idiot, "Yes, why? Do you like them?"

"Actually, no, I do not like them," the Yagami deadpanned. "They are inappropriate for this environment, please, at least put an apron on, or something."

The embarrassed waitress quickly withdrew from their table and went into the kitchen. After watching the poor girl's fast retreat, Light resumed their conversation, only to face a glaring Ryuzaki. "Is something the matter?"

"No," the elder mumbled slowly, eyes still fixed on the doors that continued swinging after the girl had passed through. "Everything's fine…"

"Alright," Light said unsurely. "Anyway, where were we? Right, what did you find out about Mr. Namikawa?"

"Hmmm? Oh yes, his date of birth was on August 3, 1974, which would make him about…29. He is 181cm. tall, weighs 64kg. and his blood type, if I remember correctly, is A. And, I don't know how Mogi managed to dig this up, but our topic's main hobby is military chess." L shrugged.

"Is that all?" Light asked.

"Yes," Ryuzaki confirmed. "But through my own personal observations, I believe that Namikawa is the most talented of the Yotsuba members, and is quite intelligent."

"I see," Light rested his chin on his hand. "We must be careful not to underestimate him then…"

"I agree," L took another bite of his cake. "Light? What would you think I gave him a chance to work on this investigation with us?"

_'I already know that this Kira is Higuchi, so what do I do? I can't just say 'Oh, I know who it is now!' L would get suspicious… And then there's the fact that this didn't happen last time…Higuchi could just as likely NOT be Kira, what would I do then?'_ Light sighed, "Isn't that basically what he's already doing?"

Ryuzaki reiterated, "Yes, but I meant, join the task force, work with us in person."

"But-!"

"Light, listen to me," the detective explained seriously. "I am willing to bet that this Kira is just a decoy, the fact that he doesn't seem to be particularly cautious gives him away, for the real Kira. If we can get Namikawa to join us and give us an inside scoop, then we could be at a serious advantage!"

_'L's right, Higuchi was a distraction for the real Kira, ME! But I'm not Kira anymore, so…'_ "I suppose, that would be a smart move, but how do we know we can trust him?" Light countered.

"That is to be determined at this meeting," L said.

Chuckling, Light's eyes twinkled, "I see, always with a good backup, huh?"

"You know me too well," Ryuzaki replied.

A shadow fell on their table as a monotone voice greeted, "So you're L?"

Ryuzaki turned around slowly in his seat, "Yes, I am L…"

Reiji Namikawa stood there, jacket slung casually over his shoulder, dressed in a pale blue silk dress shirt and black business slacks. His black shoulder-length hair was slightly windblown, but that didn't change the fact that he was still the image of perfection. "I see…"

"Please," Ryuzaki motioned to the seat across from him and Light, "Sit down and make yourself comfortable. We have taken the liberty to order you a coffee, hopefully it's not too cold."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," the Namikawa replied, sliding gracefully into his seat. "And who might you be?" he asked Light.

The Yagami glanced at the detective discreetly, when he received the smallest of nods, he introduced himself, "My name is Light Yagami. My father is chief of the Japanese police task force and I am assisting L in the investigation against Kira."

"Very well," the Namikawa suddenly paused, processing and evaluating what was just said. "You were the one posing as L the first time we talked on the phone, were you not?"

Light flinched visibly, and Ryuzaki's eyes narrowed. Silently studying their guest, the detective grew more suspicious when the Namikawa coughed lightly. "And, pray tell, what makes you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, for one, your reactions were a dead give away," Reiji pointed out. "And your speaking patterns, Mr. Yagami, don't match his," he acknowledged Ryuzaki, "Who claims to be L."

"Your deductive and observational skills are most impressive," Ryuzaki complimented. "You are completely right, of course, Light was posing as me when he called you, though, I'm sure his screw up could have given him away just as easily…" He shot a half-hearted glare at his partner, who wasn't even looking.

Light was sitting back in his chair, reevaluating the newcomer. Much like himself, the elder glowed superiority and authority wherever he went, it was also a very high possibility that girls swooned over him as well, but that was beside the point. No, the point was that Reiji Namikawa, under that immaculate façade, was smart, and not someone to trifle with. _'L's right! If I keep making these careless mistakes, sooner or later, someone's going to discover my secret. My secret that is totally impossible, I mean, who gets resurrected from the dead? And even if I didn't mess us, this man was able to figure out who I was through a voice filter! He is obviously not someone to cross. If I had known he was this good, I might even have kept time last time-NO! Forget the past, this…this is the present! I am not…and I will never be Kira again…but…still…_

"Mr. Yagami," the Namikawa asked, pulling Light out of his reverie, "Are you feeling alright?"

Startled from his internal struggle, the younger stuttered, "Huh? Oh, yes, of course, don't worry about me, I'm just a little preoccupied, that's all…"

"If you insist, Mr. Yagami," the Yotsuba member nodded.

Light blushed, "P-please, call me Light. 'Mr. Yagami' is my father's name."

"I see, of course," Reiji said unhurriedly. "I didn't mean any offense by it."

L stirred a sugar cube into his quickly cooling coffee. Slurping loudly, the adjusted his position on his chair, "Mr. Namikawa?"

"Hmmm?"

"What was your reason for calling us here?" he inquired. "I'm sure you didn't take time out of your undoubtedly busy schedule just to make small talk…"

"I suppose it won't be any use to draw it out, very well then, let's get strait to the point." The man put down his coffee and laced his fingers together, resting his elbows on the tabletop. "To be completely honest, I wanted to meet you in person because I was suspicious of you. I'm sure that you already realized that you are famous for your unmatchable detective skills, most have heard of you. And when you slipped in stating there are more than one Kiras, I was almost certain that you, L, weren't the one I was speaking with. But, now that I've met you, I've about reassured myself as much as I can that you are in fact L, the greatest detective of our generation. But, by the way, I must ask you…why is it that you sit like that?"

"It's not that I want to," Ryuzaki sighed, but silently agreeing with the Namikawa's reasoning. "It's that if I sit normally, my deductive skills automatically go down about 40%."

"That's very interesting," the elder commented.

"I suppose it is," L nodded, "And before we discuss matters any further, I must ask you to call me Ryuzaki, for the sake of my privacy and the investigation."

"Of course," Reiji consented. "My real reason for coming here, apart from confirming your identity, was to ask if the assistance of a fellow co-worker was to be permitted."

"Why would you want to request that?" Light asked, eyes narrowing.

"As you can probably see, I can only do so much without arousing suspicion. Even meeting you here in the café was a bit of a stretch for me because I never take lunch breaks. I need someone to investigate the things that I cannot," the Yotsuba member explained.

"Is this person somebody that you can trust?" L added questioningly.

"Yes, I believe he is…" murmured the Namikawa, sipping at his coffee. "He is, I believe, one of the more capable members of our inner circle. I'm sure you've made your own observations on Shingo Mido, no?"

"Yes, I did notice him," L muttered, rubbing his chin. "And you believe he's trustworthy?"

Reiji nodded, "More so than the others, I'll give you that…"

"Alright," L allowed, "We'll see how this works out. And I would like you to pay a little visit to our headquarters, you mentioned something in your e-mail about 'finding something important'?"

"Yes, I did," he confirmed. "I didn't bring it here, but I can show you later today. It's Saturday, so I'll probably get off work at around 19:00."

"Mr. Namikawa?" Light piped up. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why, you ask?" the elder rolled the question around in his head for a few moments. "I was not in support of using Kira in the first place, in fact, I _was_ blackmailed into doing it-"

"You say you were blackmailed…then you know who did it?" Light accused.

"No,I walked into my office and noticed a note lying on my desk," he explained wryly. "I think Kira is out of control, he needs to be stopped before he lets his power get to his head. And, I've always been slightly interested in law, it wouldn't hurt to have a few acquaintances on the inside…"

"I see," L hesitated. "Understood, come to the café after you finish your shift, we'll walk back to headquarters, it's not very far. But come alone, I think it best if it was just you who showed up. And don't ask Mido for assistance just yet, we'll wait and see what you've found first."

"Got it," Reiji answered. Finishing his coffee, the Yotsuba member got up and put his jacket on. "My break's over, but I'll see you again tonight."

Light and Ryuzaki both nodded and watched as the Namikawa headed back to work.

"What did you think?" L asked.

"I think it went fairly well," Light admitted. "But why did you let him involve another person? They might be Kira!"

"I know, Light," the elder reassured. "I do see his reasoning though. If he were to keep up his act and investigate at the same time, it would be difficult if your colleagues knew your habits and schedules. And we have no reason not to trust Namikawa, he hasn't lied to us yet…"

"That's because there's nothing he could have lied about!" Light declared.

"Hm, I see your point…"

"Anyway, let's go," Light suggested. "I have a feeling that my dad wants us back."

Ryuzaki didn't move, "Light?"

"Yeah?"

"About this morning…" L started uncertainly.

"Hm? What about it?" the younger coaxed.

The detective blushed bright red, "D-did you…mean anything by it?"

Light paused, _'Did I mean anything by it? I don't really know…L…do I…like you?'_ "Uh…Ryuzaki…why don't we go back to our room to discuss this…it's quite…disconcerting to talk about it in a public place…"

Silently getting up, the elder nodded, "I feel the same, let's go."

During the short walk back to the headquarters, Light's mind was functioning on overdrive. _'What do I do?! I…I don't know what I feel for L yet! But that emptiness when he died…the need to make sure he's safe…this morning…for the love of Ki-! Am I…gay? I…L, I…do I like you? Of course I like you, but do I like you enough to want to pursue a relationship… Damn it! Too much, too soon! Why did I kiss you back this morning? Why did I like it? Hell, why did I _love_ it? I'm so close to you, L…but I can't seem to be able to admit it to myself yet… Shit! What's Dad going to think! Mom…Sayu…no, Sayu would probably think it's cute or something, Mom would support anything I wanted, but Dad… This would probably go against all his morals…and this morning! He was clearly against us going in public chained together…he said…we have reputation to uphold…FUCK! I'm so confused…'_

Entering the building and quickly passing the main control room, the pair went upstairs silently, each engaged in their own conflicted emotions.

_'Light…what is this feeling that I have for him?_' Ryuzaki furrowed his brows, _'He's not talking right now, maybe I pushed it a little to fast. But this feeling, it won't go away! This morning it had felt so wonderful, but what if Light doesn't want this…us…what if he's repulsed by it? No, then he wouldn't have kissed me back…but what if…he's Kira…'_ The detective's eyes widened, his brain immediately coming up with a thousand different possible scenarios,_ 'Then his strategy would be to seduce me, gain my trust –though, I do believe that he already has it- and then find out my real name and kill me… No, Light wouldn't do that! Shoot, what if he's upset, what if I…what if I…stole his first kiss…no that's impossible…good God! What if he's too embarrassed!…'_

L opened the door with a slightly shaking hand and Light followed him to their room, their bed.

"So…" Light initiated, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I'm sorry if this isn't what you wan-!" L immediately apologized.

But Light had different ideas, "N-no, it's alright…"

"I know it's not normal for the investigator to fall for their suspects, and I know this whole 'gay thing' isn't welcomed by most people," L continued to rant. "But I really would like to apologize for this morning-"

"Ryuzaki-!" Light interrupted.

"I was being unreasonable and I didn't mean any offense by it or anything-!" Ryuzaki rambled on, completely oblivious to Light.

The younger, unsure of how to calm the elder down, did the only thing he could. Cupping the other's face gently in his hands, Light pressed their lips together insistently, effectively shutting the other up.

"Mmph!" Ryuzaki moaned at the sweet contact.

Without hesitating this time, Light immediately pushed against L's lips with his tongue, practically begging for entrance. When the elder gasped, Light wiggled the organ in. Mapping out the inside of Ryuzaki's hot cavern, Light groaned hotly. _'Fuck heterosexual, if this is what being gay feels like, then I am so in!'_ Light realized.

Ryuzaki responded to the ministrations, matching Light's ferocity and hunger. Forcing his way into Light's mouth, he gently pushed Light down onto the bed, so that he was kneeling over him.

Light was surprised when Ryuzaki pushed him down, but it secretly turned him on at being dominated so forcefully. Breaking the kiss to take a much-needed breath, Light panted loudly under the elder's touches.

Ryuzaki placed soft butterfly kisses down Light's neck and sucked softly on the pulse he found there, worshipping the pale flesh. When Light moaned out sexily, he decided otherwise. Biting down hard on the pulsing skin, he prided himself in giving Light his first hickey.

"R-Ryuzaki…" Light gasped, shaking with pleasure.

Leaning up and licking the outer shell of the Yagami's ear, Ryuzaki murmured, "Hm?"

"Wha-aaaah!" Light moaned as Ryuzaki reached under this shirt and tweaked a nipple. "Mmm!"

Smashing their lips together again, Ryuzaki kissed the younger with bruising force. Tongues sliding together, the elder stroked his hands up and down Light's stomach, gradually pushing his shirt up. Giving him one last peck on the lips, Ryuzaki lowered his head and gave the pert pink nipple a teasing lick.

"Aaaaah! Ryuzaki…mmmmh, don't stop!" Light panted out roughly.

Groaning, the detective bit down softly on the nipple, drawing a delighted gasp from Light, and moved onto the other. Suckling and playing with it until it was red and hard, Ryuzaki moved back up to Light's mouth.

"F-fuck, Ryuzaki," Light cussed out. "This is…ahhhh…so damn…hot!"

"Mmmmh."

"D-dad'll…SHIT!" he swore violently as L reached down and massaged his crotch. "Dad'll be worried…about…mmmmh…us!"

L abruptly stopped and looked at Light, "Is this too-?"

"No, no!" Light added hurriedly. "This is fine, but…"

"Mmm," L nodded, leaning up to kiss Light one last time. "I understand."

"Damn it, Ryuzaki," Light cursed, pushing his shirt down clumsily, "Where'd you learn to kiss like that?"

"I don't know," Ryuzaki smirked, getting off of his friend. "You might want to put a jacket on…"

Light got up swiftly and went to examine his neck in the mirror. "Jeez…did you really have to make it so obvious?"

L walked up behind the Yagami, resting his head on top of the younger's shoulder and wrapping his arms around Light's waist. "Are you ashamed of it?"

"No…" Light sighed, leaning into the other's touch. "But my dad…"

"Hmmm, are you a daddy's boy? It's always 'my dad this' and 'my dad that'," Ryuzaki smiled slightly, "Well, put a jacket on for now, and we'll discuss it later, mkay?"

Light nodded, breaking the other's grip to search for a suitable article of clothing.

"Pick that black one with the high collar," suggested Ryuzaki.

"This one?" Light asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, "It'll look good on you."

Slipping the jacket on, the two of them hurried down the stairs to be greeted with a very flustered Soichiro Yagami. "Where have you two been!"

"…here," Light tried lamely.

"We saw both of you enter, and go up to your room, but you stayed in there for half an hour!" the elder Yagami thundered. "We should have kept the surveillance in there, were you hurt or something?"

"Please Mr. Yagami," L pressed on calmly, "I must ask that you lower your voice, it's giving me a headache. And no, Light is fine, we just had to discuss something in private before we came down here."

"And also, Reiji Namikawa should be visiting tonight so we can discuss matters with him in more detail," Light continued, changing the subject.

"What!" Matsuda yelled. "Why?"

"We had our reasons for inviting him," Ryuzaki explained. "And we need the security of our headquarters to talk about whatever he decided was 'too important' to bring to a meeting at a café. And he will also be requesting the assistance of Shingo Mido to help him with the investigation if tonight's meeting goes well. It is still undetermined whether Mido will accept, but we can only hope that he isn't Kira."

Aizawa nodded, "Makes sense."

"I want all of you present at 18:30 and here for the meeting." Ryuzaki ordered, "Light and I will personally escort Mr. Namikawa here, so look presentable and be ready to take action if needed…"

"What do you mean?" Soichiro cautioned.

"Nothing as of right now," L shrugged, "But just in case something happens…"

"I see…"

Matsuda looked from Ryuzaki to the chief and back again, deciding that the fowl mood was too much, he interrupted, "Oh! And here are the handcuffs," Laughing nervously, he handing the contraption over to Ryuzaki, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the chief's frown became just slightly more obvious.

"Thank you, I was just about to ask for them," L turned and winked at Light before snapping the cuffs on their wrists. Then he whispered softly, so only they could hear, "Still complaining?"

Light's eyes twinkled happily, shaking his head, "Here we go again…"

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Jennifer: *blushes* that was my first attempt at a kissing scene, hopefully it wasn't too bad

Shannon: i think you did a pretty darn good job! you included all the quotes i wanted you to...

Jennifer: well, i tried

Shannon: yeah

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Please review and tell us how we did!_ And don't forget to give us your opinion on the rating thingy! _Also, I'm on vacation right now and Jenn's kinda sick with the flu, so don't expect an update next week, we'll try our best to get one up in like say...10 days or so...but in the mean time, REVIEW!!! XD

Oh, and as always, notify us on any errors you might come across please!


	4. New Developments

Disclaimer: We do not own Death Note or it's characters

Alright, we won't get all mushy and gushy. We're sorry we haven't updated. Jenn's been sick with pneumonia and I've had to spend some time with my really annoying grandparents. So, this was the best we could do. And we apologize in advance at any OOCnes that might bother you. We're sorry.

Chapter 4: New Developments

"Well, I didn't expect it to go that smoothly," Light commented as he and Ryuzaki trudged up the stairs, side-by-side, shoulders brushing occasionally.

"You never do," the detective snorted.

Light leaned his head on the elder's shoulders, "A lot's happened since this morning…I'm glad…"

L hesitantly pulled his hand out of his pocket and bit his thumb. Speaking out of the corner of his mouth, he whispered inconspicuously to his companion, "Stop it, Light. There are cameras in the stairwells, you know that!"

Light nodded, "I'm not stupid, Ryuzaki, but this is a blind spot…are you against it?"

The elder smirked, "No." Shrugging his shoulders, and pushing Light off, he poked the teen in the ribs, "If this is what you want, show some patience. You are always the one going, 'We have to stop, my dad…' or 'But what'll my dad think…' Honestly, Light, make up your mind!"

Chuckling, the Yagami elbowed his friend turned unofficial boyfriend right back, "I will…in time…"

Scowling slightly, Ryuzaki shook his head, "Hn."

Reaching their door, the elder pulled the key out and handed it to Light. Raising an eyebrow, the younger opened the door for the first time since the began rooming their…partly because the key to the room was the same key that unlocked their handcuffs. Light had never figured out how it had happened, but with Ryuzaki, one had to expect the unexpected. "What's this?"

L shrugged, smiling softly, "I'm showing you I trust you." _'Even if I feel kind of bad about doing this, if he is Kira, this could prompt him to climb to the next wrung. If he isn't, he does have my trust…he really does…'_

'_What's he getting at?'_ Light wondered, _'Why is he being so- No wonder! By showing that I've gained his trust, he's expecting me to move on to the next step of my 'plan'. Wait…so, does this mean our…relationship…my feelings…are nothing to you, Ryuzaki?' _Putting on the best strait face he could through all the anger and doubt swirling through this mind, he faced the other. The Yagami was so angry, furious even. _'How could he think of me like that?' _Fight the urge to kick the genius in the balls, Light repeated with barely concealed anger, "Ryuzaki, for the last time, I am not Kira! What is this to you? A game? A test? Another round of manipulations? Damn it! I can't believe I actually trusted you! I thought you meant it!" Angrily unlocking his cuff with the key that was still in his hand, Light turned and headed swiftly for their bedroom, throwing the blasted key at L's feet and slamming the door behind him.

Ryuzaki just stood there, in the middle of the living room, staring at where Light had been just a few seconds ago, shocked. _'No! No! No! I didn't…I didn't mean for you to take it that seriously!!!'_ Quickly scooping up the piece of metal, he strode across the room and banged on the door. "Light! Light, please! I didn't mean it that way! I'm serious! Please, just…let's talk about it! PLEASE, LIGHT!"

Light lay on the bed, listening the Ryuzaki's words. Every syllable was weakening his resolve and he was that must closer to just forgiving the detective. Clenching his jaw, he yelled, "Shut up! Just go away! I'm not Kira, so go on with your fucking life! You don't have to play your games with me anymore, you don't have to act! I FUCKING HATE YOU! DAMN IT!" _'I'm not Kira…I'm not Kira…I'm not Kira' _Light thought to himself stubbornly. Feeling tears trickle down his cheeks, the Yagami recalled the past, '_…but, I was. I WAS Kira! The fact that I'm starting over…doesn't change what happened. Ryuzaki has…every right to suspect me… But this morning, I thought he meant it! Does he really just see me as a murderer, a cold-blooded murderer? I…I…shit…'_ Light sobbed into the pillow.

The younger knew that the detective would think that he was just pouting, but it hurt. It hurt Light so much to know that he was only a suspect in L's eyes, a suspect that the detective would go to any length to get what he wanted. _'Why is this affecting me so much? We…we aren't even official yet!' _he thought desperately, '_This…this feeling of…emptiness. I was just a pawn to him…was this how Misa felt, or anyone else that I've…used…?'_

On the other side of the door, Ryuzaki listened to Light cry. Giving up on pounding the damn piece of wood, he slid down and hugged his knees. _'I FUCKING HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU!' _The disgust filled words echoed in his head, over and over.

"Damn it!" he whispered, feeling the unmistakable sting of tears come to his eyes. Burying his face in his arms, Ryuzaki bit his lip, trying to keep silent. _'I'm so sorry, Light. I never meant to hurt you… Everything I said… I…I can't even imagine life…if you were to… I'm so sorry, Light!'_

Ryuzaki felt the first tear drop on the back of his hand. It barely showed up on his milky white skin, but he quickly felt two more fall, searing hot droplets that burned at his conscience. _'I had no right to bring Light's personal feelings into this investigation…no, that's not it. I had no right to bring the investigation into our relationship. But…what do I do? I'm trying to solve one of the most confusing mysteries I've ever encountered and I…I fall for my prime suspect! What kind of criminal investigator am I? Light…I never meant to hurt you…and if you really hate me, so be it, I…I won't bother you anymore. Shit! This day was so perfect, too. I really hate myself at this moment…Light, forgive me, please… What am I saying! I…this…none of this is Light's fault, why am I so stupid? I shouldn't have let myself fall for you, I shouldn't have started this…'_

After a few minutes of logical thinking, Light managed to calm himself down, knowing that crying over a not even official relationship was absolute bullshit. _'Maybe I'm being unreasonable…that smile when he said it…it was so real. Why does this have to be so complicated?'_ Screwing his eyes shut, he held his breath, listening intently._ 'He's gone…fuck. So he really was just playing with me-!'_

Suddenly, he heard a sniffle. Eyes widening, Light strained his ears further. It was so soft, he was positive it was just him imagination, but…there it was, again. _'Ryuzaki is…crying…_' Light gasped,_ 'I made Ryuzaki…cry?'_ Light felt his chest ache. The Yagami knew Ryuzaki well enough -hell, they practically knew each other like the backs of their hands- to know that the detective would never lower himself to shameless acting just to get answers. _'Shit, what have I done! We just started this morning and I was too quick to jump to conclusions…I really am an idiot…'_

Quickly getting out of bed and wiping his face, Light cracked the door open to see Ryuzaki curled up facing away from him. Light's heart literally broke the moment he laid eyes on the detective and he immediately moved to apologize for causing the other such pain.

Seeing that Light had sat next to him, Ryuzaki automatically looked away, too ashamed to look the younger in the face. Having Light so close to him made Ryuzaki feeling even guiltier. _'What he must be going through right now…'_ the genius mentally smacked himself. _'He must be here to tell me it's over…'_

It hurt more than Light was willing to admit when Ryuzaki turned away. Taking a deep breath, he gently put a hand on the other's shoulder.

L flinched visibly when Light touched him, causing the other to draw back. The elder immediately regretted his action, in fear that the younger would take it offensively.

Light could feel tears in his own eyes again, "Ryuzaki," he whispered. "I-I'm sorry…"

L shook his head defensively, "No, Light, it's my fault. I do trust you, Light! I'll admit…that question was a test, but I do trust you! I'm sorry…" Turning, he gently placed a kiss on the Yagami's lips, _'I'm sorry, Light. Please forgive me, I'll...give you some time to think about it…'_ "I didn't mean for you to take it that way." The detective slowly got up and went to leave, dragging the chain behind him.

Light wasn't surprised at the confession, he was shocked when Ryuzaki got up and left. Reaching his hand out and grabbing the thin wrist, he pulled the elder next to him. Burying his face in L's shoulder Light whispered, "Don't go, please don't go…stay with me…"

The elder looked at the teen incredulously, "I…Light, I know you must hate me right now-"

"No!" Light interrupted, hugging Ryuzaki closer, "I never said that…I never said that. I could never hate you…"

"But…Light…" L hesitated.

Finally looking up at the detective, Light slammed their lips together in a brutal kiss. Pouring all his emotions into the action, the Yagami thrust his tongue in harshly. "Stop it, Ryuzaki. I never meant it…I was just mad, and, and not thinking strait."

Startled by the sudden change of attitude, L shyly placed a feather light kiss to the other's lips. "…I…really?"

Suddenly, the younger burst out laughing, "You know, it's so cliché. We fall for each other, have a fight, and not ten minutes later, we get back together…"

L chuckled as well, leaning into the embrace, "Hmmm, except that you left out how ironic our situation is…"

"I suppose so, Mr. No. 1 detective," Light teased.

"Mmmm, be quiet, suspect!" Ryuzaki fired back playfully. He watched as the younger smiled and pulled away, "But, Light, I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought the investigation into this. I want to make it up to you somehow…"

Picking up the empty cuff, the Yagami snapped it onto his wrist. "You can make it up to me by eating healthier," he suggested. "It makes me worry about your health."

"Tch, flat chance," Ryuzaki deadpanned.

"Well, one can try…" Light sighed.

The detective toyed with the chain for a second before saying, "Why don't we go out for a snack, I know this great pastry sho-!"

Light groaned, "Absolutely not! Why don't we go out and just walk?"

"…" the elder was confused, "What's the point in that?"

"There is no point to it," the Yagami sighed again, "It's just supposed to be enjoyable. Besides, I want to spend some time outside with you, we never leave this blasted place."

"Fine," L consented, unclipping the handcuffs yet again. "Don't put these on so fast next time, Light, we might just end up taking them off…"

Light just snorted, "Whatever, let's go."

Nodding and getting up, Ryuzaki stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Should we go directly to the rendezvous then?"

"Yeah, I suppose…" Light murmured, taking L's hand and leading him to the door. Once there, he kissed the elder. Tongues tangled together as Ryuzaki was pushed gently against the wall. "Mmmm," Light moaned when they paused to catch their breaths, "Are you sure you still want to go?"

Giving the younger a peck on the cheek, the detective nodded, "Don't you? I mean, you were the one that suggested it after all, and besides we can save the rest of this for tonight…"

Light blushed bright crimson, "A-alright…"

The two of them left the building quickly. Avoiding the others, they headed directly for the café. Neither of them cared that they still had hours to spare.

"Ryuzaki, why don't we go to some of those shops over there," Light suddenly suggested, shuffling closer to the elder as he walked.

L glanced at the Yagami, "If you really want to…"

The two of them spent some time looking at sweets, in which Ryuzaki couldn't resist buying, and gadgets, but they got bored and just wandered around the less populated areas of the city, discreet brushing their hands together from time to time.

When it was about time to meet up, they headed for the café.

"I really hope nobody hits on me this time," Light grumbled. "Although, I do feel bad for that girl though, she was really embarrassed…"

"Hm," the other agreed, bumping the other lightly with his shoulder. "I do hope so."

They walked in and took their seats. And waited…

---------------------------------Slight time skip------------------------------------

"Ryuzaki, please," Light literally begged. "Take your thumb our of your mouth!" They had been sitting there for about ten minutes and L was already driving him up the wall! _'Why am I so annoyed by it all of a sudden?'_

The detective raised an eyebrow, "Why is it bothering you now? I can't recall when it did. In fact, I'm fairly certain that none…of my habits irritated you before." Inwardly, Ryuzaki was smirking, _'What ever it is, he's blushing…'_

"I…you…you're drawing enough attention as it is!" Light stuttered. "Don't you think someone your age shouldn't be…sucking on their…thumb?" _'Damn it, why does that make me sound like some pervert?'_

"Light," Ryuzaki noted, "You've been acting a bit strangely since this morning." Pulling the digit out of his mouth, he asked concerned, "Are we moving too fast for you?"

The Yagami frowned, "Have I really been acting…that different?" He moved his chair so it was closer to the elder, preventing them from having to speak in such loud tones. They were in a public place, and this was a private conversation, after all. "I…this whole 'I'm gay' thing isn't what I had in mind when I started dating, you know…"

"Yes, I completely understand," L laughed quietly. "But, you have been a bit more…impulsive lately...quite like Matusda, I might add." He smiled at that, rubbing the insult in his friend/boyfriend's face.

"Don't compare me to that idiot," groaned Light. "True, he may have his perks, but he's still a nuisance."

"I see," L said, smiling happily. "Are you saying you aren't a nuisance?"

"Are you saying I am?" Light pouted.

"Perhaps," teased Ryuzaki, but quickly added at the shocked look on the younger's face, "You'd be surprised a how annoying it is to have to lug you around everywhere I go. And I do believe that not being able to figure your plan out is a legitimate reason to be agitated."

"Hmph," Light crossed his arms childishly. "You don't have to, you know. And even if I was Kira, I wouldn't cause any damage with what's going on right now."

"Hm," pondered the elder fondly, remembering this morning with a smile. "We were very immature earlier, don't you think?"

Blushing slightly, Light nodded, "Yes…I guess…you were right…about what you said before. I guess I have been…a bit impulsive lately…"

"I wonder why," Ryuzaki smirked, returning to his old habit again.

Light leaned forward and pulled the offending thumb from between Ryuzaki's lips. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked severely.

"Are you jealous that it's not something else in my mouth?" the detective teased, enjoying the blush that spread over the Yagami's handsome features. "Do you want to replace it with something?" he continued relentlessly.

Glaring heatedly directly into the other's eyes, it was then that Light finally noticed how close they were. Their faces were practically touching and he was still holding the other's hand in his. And, of course, it was then that they suddenly heard someone clear their throat behind them.

"A-hem,"

Immediately pulling apart, Light smoothed down imaginary creases on his clothes as Ryuzaki greeted their guest. "Ah! Mr. Namikawa, please it down. I'm sorry for our…behavior, I hope that you will excuse Light for it. He's been a bit short fused lately."

"…" Light looked up, speechless. "Wh-what!"

Ryuzaki only turned and shot the younger a smug smile.

"Sorry I'm late," Reiji apologized, sitting down smoothly next to the two and setting his briefcase on the floor near his feet. "Had to verify my…evidence."

Light raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

"You'll see when we meet with the rest of your task force," the Namikawa eluded, smirking slightly. "You guys seemed awfully close when I walked in, is there something going on between you two?"

"As observant as ever," Light muttered, blushing darkly, and turning away. "I…I…uh…"

Ryuzaki smiled at seeing his…boyfriend so embarrassed. "Yes, you aren't homophobic, I hope…"

Blinking a few times, Light thought, _'A-are we official now?'_ Masking his barely contained excitement hurriedly behind an indifferent façade, his mind continued to wander. _'Does he mean that? Ryuzaki, no, Lawliet and I are…together…officially?'_

"No," the Namikawa smiled. "I would actually consider myself to have a habit to swinging that way too, if that makes you feel a bit better."

L raised an eyebrow, "Really, I always thought of you as somewhat of a womanizer."

Reiji frowned as he noticed a man in a red sweater lingering outside the door before walking slowly past them, "I can't stand women."

"I see," the detective nodded, looking discreetly in the same direction. "So, are you with anyone?"

Light looked up, it was odd for Ryuzaki to make small talk, especially about something so…private…

"No, not as of right now," the businessman said distantly, eyeing the man out of the corner of his vision.

"Hmmm," L mumbled, blatantly staring as the man sat down at the bar and called a waiter. "Do you come there often?"

"No," Reiji replied. "I don't have a chance to during the day, and I'd personally rather go to a restaurant at night…."

"That makes sense," L agreed, and turned so he faced his companion again, "Light, are you feeling alright? You look a little distracted, and that's not very characteristic of you."

The Yagami smiled, laughing slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine, just…a little distracted I guess."

"Hn," Namikawa snorted.

Suddenly, a waiter walked up to their table. Setting a glass of Champagne in front of Reiji, he said, "From the man at the bar, note's on the napkin."

Glaring at the young man as he walked away, the Namikawa read the note:

_Heard ya sayin ya were single, wanna go out?_

Reiji sighed, "Another reason I don't come here much." He turned to look at the man again, the red sweater immediately catching his eye. Lifting the drink to his lips, he took a sip and very coolly, if unlike him, flicked the man off, enjoying his free drink in the process. "I hate those kinds of people," he said to L as the other read the note sideways.

"That's not very nice of you, Mr. Namikawa," Ryuzaki teased lightly. "Though I can't say I disagree with you, the very same think happened to Light before our meeting earlier today. And I must confess that it made me insanely jealous."

Light blushed, "Stop it, Ryuzaki," he hissed.

Reiji smirked, "It wouldn't piss me off if it was someone I knew, but it's so annoying if it's just some total stranger.

"Yeah," Light muttered, "Especially if it's a girl…"

Reiji laughed, "Really? Have a thing against women?"

"Of course not," Light immediately blushed darker, "She…she was just…Ryuzaki was…"

"You've had girlfriends haven't you?" the elder asked.

"O-of course, but-!"

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to," Namikawa said, eyes twinkling. '_Honestly,'_ he thought to himself,_ 'I haven't had this much fun in years!_

Light opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again, glaring childishly at both of the other two. "Damn you guys to hell."

Ryuzaki shrugged, "See you there! Anyway, let's go. I'm sure everyone is busy waiting for us wondering if we've met our fates at the hands of Kira."

"Of course," Reiji said, getting up and setting his drink down. Picking up his briefcase, he shot a cold glare at the man in the sweater. "God's he's still staring at me… Let's go."

"Please," Light added sarcastically."

---------Back at Headquarters-------

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Namikawa," Soichiro greeted awkwardly, shaking the offered hand politely. "I hope this meeting wasn't too much of a hassle for you…"

"Of course not…Mr. Yagami," Reiji assured, shooting a pointed glance at Light in the process, remembering that he had accidentally addressed the younger as such earlier.

Light smirked, "Dad, we wouldn't have met if it was."

"Light," his father warned.

The teen raised his hands, "Sorry…" The chains were on again, not that either of them had complained. Ryuzaki just happened to have them in his pocket, so when they got in the elevator, he had just snapped them on his wrist.

"_What's that for? Kinky much?" the Namikawa commented dryly, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. _

"_No," Ryuzaki informed nonchalantly. "It's a safety precaution, Light is-sorry, was, one of my prime suspects as Kira."_

_Reiji was still confused, "Was?"_

"_Well," L continued. "Since you said you found something important, I'm assuming you figured out who Kira is, and since Light's been with me this whole time, I don't think that even he could have thought so far ahead to leave you a false or real trail to follow."_

"_I see," the elder blinked. "But if that's the case, then why…?"_

"_Oh," Ryuzaki explained with a smile. "He claims that if feels weird without it."_

_Reji smirked, "Well said… I can see why you two are together…"_

_Light just rolled his eyes and looked away, "Whatever."_

"It's fine, I just finished my shift, anyway." The Yotsuba member explained. "But, I must apologize for my tardiness. We had an…issue at work and we got a little sidetracked coming back."

Aizawa raised a brow, he had hoped that this Namikawa would be focused like a mature person, but sidetracked?

"All right then, let's get started," L directed, tugging Light along with him to the couch. "Mr. Namikawa, what was it that you had wished to show us?"

Reiji unzipped a pocket in his briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope, sealed with a prong. "It's in here, I know it's insufficient, but I had to do it fast."

Ryuzaki took the envelope gingerly, using only the tips of his fingers. Opening it, he carefully pulled out its contents.

"They're photographs," Light said slowly, leaning across and looking over Ryuzaki's shoulder, "…of a…notebook?" _'What the hell? How did he…how did he manage to get a shot of this?'_

L stuck his thumb in his mouth, chewing slightly on the flesh, "What does this have to do with the investigation?"

The Namikawa sighed, "It's quite a long story…"

"That doesn't matter," Soichiro interrupted. "Let's hear it."

"Well, after Light called me, I had a…certain someone help me get into Higuchi's room," he explained. "I looped the video feed and said person broke in. I looked around for a bit, and then stumbled across the notebook. I probably would have overlooked it if it hadn't said 'Death Note' on it in big white letters, but I picked it up and looked inside. There were names written in it, along with times and types of death. They were the people that Yotsuba had previously killed. So, I put it back where I found it, went to leave, and got the scare of my life…I'm ashamed to admit."

"Huh? What was it?" L asked excitedly.

"It seems that only people who have touched the notebook can see it," the Namikawa continued. "The Shinigami."

Ryuzaki froze. _'Sh-shinigami?! So…it was true…'_

Light felt his friend tense, "What do you mean?" _'If he knows this much…'_ The younger lay a comforting hand on L's shoulder, squeezing just enough to comfort him.

Reiji raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing about it. "It's obviously the keeper of the…ah…Death Note."

"Then why aren't you dead?" Light's father asked. "Don't shinigami's come to the human world to eat people's souls?"

"I guess not," Reiji shrugged indifferently. "The fact that I'm still alive means that one, that is not it's real intention, and two, since it didn't do anything, it must just be there to observe."

"Please clarify on that, Mr. Namikawa," Ryuzaki requested professionally.

"Since I found the notebook in Higuchi's room, I'm sure it would be safe to assume that Higuchi is Kira," the Yotsuba member explained seriously. "After all, he's the one that's the most obsessed with money and success, even though he tries to hide it. But I suppose that supports my suspicions all the more. If Higuchi is Kira, and the Shinigami is working with him, it would have undoubtedly stopped me from finding the notebook. If it were on our side…well, it couldn't be on our side, so there's only one possibility."

"I see," muttered Light. "It must know that any human who touches the notebook can see it, so since it didn't bother to stop you, that must mean that it's not working with Higuchi. Therefore, it most likely won't tell him that you found the notebook!"_ 'Good old Rem, I always knew you couldn't be trusted…'_

"Exactly," Namikawa snapped his fingers. "There are cameras in every room of Yotsuba headquarters, even in the bathrooms I might add, but there was one major security flaw when they were placed. That statement I said before isn't true. I find it amazing, but there are no cameras, just wiretaps, placed in the security control room."

Soichiro butted in, "But that would mean-!"

"All I had to do was knock the guard out silently, which was fairly simple, and loop the feed," Reiji concluded. "I got Mido to open the door for me, and then he went on his way. But half way through, Higuchi's phone rang, so I hurried up and well, that's when I found the notebook."

L rubbed his chin, "So the question is, what is our next move?"

"We already have some evidence against him," the youngest Yagami said, drawing everyone's eyes to him. "But that's not enough. What Ryuzaki is trying to say here, is that we need to be absolutely certain that Higuchi is Kira."

"Isn't this proof enough?" questioned Matsuda.

"Unfortunately, no," Reiji answered this time. "Without proper proof, Higuchi, if brought to the courts to face charges, could claim he was framed."

"What do you mean?" the Touta asked again. "This was in his room, isn't that all the information that we need, I mean-!"

Light sighed dramatically, "No, Matsuda, it isn't enough. Someone could have snuck in, not unlike Namikawa did, and placed it there to set a false trail for us. In fact, Namikawa could have been the one to do it…"

"No," Reiji interrupted.

"Yes, we have no choice but to trust him, Light," Ryuzaki paused. "Reiji…" he started, startling everyone in the room by using the business man's first name. "Take me to the crime scene."

"…now?" the elder asked.

Ryuzaki nodded determinedly, "Yes, now."

After a few seconds of debating, the Namikawa agreed, "Of course. I'm assuming that Light will be coming as well?"

"You assume correctly."

-------------

I'm sorry to say that Jen's been distracted with Prince of Tennis lately *glares* Honestly, the girl doesn't know the meaning of commitment! So, the updates won't be as quick as before...oh and do you guys want longer chapters with less updates or shorter chapters with slightly faster updates?

_There is nothing wrong with the PoT! But I will continue writing... o.O And before any of you three (you know who you are, we don't have school, so don't rant at me over the reviews) point it out, I would like to acknowlege the interaction between L and Namikawa. They're relatively close in age, so it's only natural that they get along well, poor Light, all left out! *snicker*_

Mkay, bye for now, remember to review and notify us about any mistakes you might find...eheheh, we really need to get a beta, Jen..._ I'll look into it..._


	5. Revelations

Disclaimer: We do not own Death Note or anything to do with the franchise...

Author's Note: ...we are so sorry, it's been almost two month's since we updated! D: _I'm really sorry, I've been uberbusy with sports and studies (placements, argh)...that's my only excuse...DON'T KILL ME *runs away* _Yeah, blame Jen, she's the one that causes all the trouble! ...so we hope you enjoy this semi-long/kinda longer chapter... _We're already working on planning out the next chapter, so we hope to have it up within a month, but no guarentees._

Another issue, Jen and I were a little disappointed in the number of reviews we got last chapter...*sob* _We don't want to beg or anything, but if our writing is getting worse, then tell us. _So this time, we won't post the next chapter until we get oh...let's say 53 reviews...just so we know we're not writing for nobody. _And no flames please! Sorry to our loyal reviewers!!! We love you!!!!_

Chapter 6: Revelations

"And Reiji," L turned to the elder. "Let's head upstairs for a minute, I want to talk to you in private about something."

Tugging the younger Yagami along, the detective led the Namikawa upstairs. Reaching their room, L unlocked the door and slid the key smoothly into his pocket.

"Come in, and make yourself comfortable," the genius invited casually. "I'll make coffee, is that all right?"

"Sure," Reiji answered, toeing off his shoes. Being the observant businessman that he was, the Yotsuba member glanced around the apartment. Craning his neck and looking through the open door to the pair's bedroom, he raised an eyebrow at the sight of only one of the two beds looking tousled, the other looked neat and not slept on. _'So, either they're sharing a bed or one of them isn't too keen one cleaning up…and I'm willing to bet it's the former.'_

"Please, sit down," L said, pulling out a chair for their guest. "Cream, sugar?"

"Yes to both," the Namikawa nodded.

Light followed his boyfriend silently, frowning ever so slightly. _'How come he gets along with Reiji so well? It's as if he doesn't even care that I'm here… Anyway, I wonder what will come of this. No Ryuk, no Misa, no Rem…but we have Namikawa and Mido instead…this is completing different than last time, interesting. In any case, I can't let my guard down. With this new evidence, there is a strong possibility that the situation is completely different than last time. Considering the events of the past few days, I have no doubt that Higuchi acting as Kira isn't all there is to this mystery. In fact, we might not have any contact with Near…Nate River and Mellow…Mihael Kihl…or something… Well, I suppose that's a good thing, the silver haired freak was too smart for his own good…and the toys, one would think that he was just a child, not a super-genius.'_

The teen studied his boyfriend and coworker carefully. _'L's been extremely laid back recently, if our relationship is affecting our performance…that would be bad. I need to pay attention to details…but damn it! It's so hard when _he_'s here…fucking Lawliet and his good looks… Perhaps when we actually get on the job, we'll both sober up a little, I'm feeling really high right now.'_

"Now," L addressed. "To the main topic of discussion. How do we know we can trust Shingo Mido? If my observations are correct, which they usually are, then he genuinely cares about Yotsuba as a company…"

Reiji nodded stiffly, "Yes, that is the general idea."

"So my question for you is, how do we know that Mr. Mido isn't going along with this to benefit Yotsuba…after all, he could just be pretending," L accused lightly.

"I…would trust Shingo with my life if necessary," the businessman declared confidently, "and I do not doubt that he is being entirely honest about this situation."

"Hmmm."

Several hours later, the three of them piled into the car provided by L. Light held his boyfriend's hand loosely in his own as they sat side-by-side in the limo. Said boyfriend was currently in a heated discussion with the other occupant of the vehicle, Reiji Namikawa, the Yotsuba member that he had successfully recruited to work with them to catch the new Kira.

"Did you see anything suspicious in the notebook besides the evidence?" the elder detective questioned.

Reiji was sitting across from the two lovebirds, casually observing their interactions with barely concealed amusement. He was still wearing his formal attire, but his face had softened and he wasn't so stiff anymore.

"I can't say," the Namikawa frowned. "All I did was take a few pictures and flip through the thing. When his phone rang, I deduced that he would probably have been expecting it, and therefore would be returning soon."

Nodding in agreement, L stuck his thumb between his lips, biting down on the skin gently. "Very wise decision, very wise indeed. You are capable of getting us in, right?"

"…Perhaps," Reiji admitted. "If I am allowed assistance."

Seeing as to the Yagami wasn't paying attention, the Namikawa raised an eyebrow. The younger had been distracted since their meeting in the café. Was it something to do with him? _'Perhaps he's just jealous that I'm stealing L's attentions. Hn…typical teenager.'_

"Assistance?" the genius eyed the businessman coolly. "Ah, most likely from a certain Shingo Mido, am I mistaken?"

The Yotsuba member smirked, "Right on the dot, as usual, I suppose." The elder wondered why he got along with the detective so well. From what he had heard, the world famous problem solver wasn't very social. So why was it so easy for them to talk? Maybe it was the age similarity, or the stoic personalities, whatever it was, he was sure the Yagami didn't share his views.

Light was indeed getting jealous. He would have to discuss it with his boyfriend later tonight, but for now, he decided to live with it. _'Reiji Namikawa, huh? What do you have that I don't?'_

"You seem to include him in matters often," the sugar-loving detective observed. "Are you two…involved?" _'If they are, this could prove interesting. Their relationship could possibly hinder their judgment, and we would have to take into consideration when valuing their trust in each other, but it could also make them a stronger pair.'_

Light looked up, _'Why in the world are you asking that? Is it because you…want to be with him…instead?'_

Reiji flinched slightly, "…no, we're not together."

Raising an eyebrow, coolly deducing from the other's actions, L shrugged, "But you would like to be, ne?"

_'…I guess not…no, I'm just being paranoid,'_ Light mentally chastised himself. _'L would never do something like that…at least without bluntly calling it off with me first…'_

The Namikawa clenched his jaw, "Am I…that easy to read?" _'Che, I didn't realize that my intentions were that clear… But then again, I just gave away my answer.'_

"You do mention him a lot," L pointed out. "But it was just a hunch."

Light felt he'd been silent for long enough and questioned the 'double agent', "Before you get too worked up about this, Reiji," he addressed, causing the elder raise the other eyebrow at the familiarity. "Did you ever consider that Mido might not want to get involved? Did you happen to consider what he felt about this operation?"

"You must be speaking from experience?" the Namikawa inferred. "But to answer your questions, I did consider his feelings. It was actually him that initiated his participation. Don't be mistaken, Shingo is not stupid…like some of the fools in our inner circle, he is actually very intellectual. He felt it necessary to…how do I put it? …interrogate me about that phone call that I received in the middle of…that meeting. Unfortunately for me, Shingo also has the uncanny ability to sense when someone is lying. I didn't have a choice, but to tell him the entire truth. I must say though, you present a very thought out argument, Light. Even Mido was able to see your way in the matter and proposed that he himself help with the investigation."

Light was taken aback, "I…see…"

L chuckled at the surprised response, "Light, what's wrong, you've been so out of it this whole ride."

"He's just confused at why you've been paying more attention to me than to him," the Namikawa interjected. _'Honestly, teenagers these days, so insecure…'_

"A-y…you," Light stuttered. "I'm not…"

L's eyes widened. "L-light," he turned to the younger immediately, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…" _'I really need to pay more attention to him. And…why is Namikawa so observant?'_

"S'okay," Light grumbled. "I was just acting immature again, that's all."

The lights in the limo were dimmed down and as the elder looked into the Yagami's eyes, he couldn't help but feel his hormones activate. Light looked so sexy in the half-light, a slight pout pulling at his soft lips, eyes shining brightly. He could still see the hickey even though Light was wearing his jacket. Inwardly smirking at his oral expertise, L leaned forward and gave his lover an affectionate peck on the cheek. Pulling away quickly when he felt Reiji's eyes on him, he just smiled at his lover.

"R-really, L" Light blushed crimson, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Suddenly, the Namikawa glanced out the window. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but we're almost there. I'll give you a brief overview of what's going to happen."

"Of course," both L and Light said at the same time.

The elder nodded, "I called Shingo earlier to inform him of our late-night visit to the office, so we will meet up with him at the office."

_-----------------_Before the second meeting at the café_---------------_

_"Moshi moshi," Mido addressed the caller per usual._

_"Shingo, it's me," Namikawa answered._

_The other laughed, "I know, Reiji, I have caller ID, and to be honest, I've memorized your number already."_

_The younger smiled, "I would like to thank you for your cooperation earlier today, it was a great help."_

_"No problem," the elder shrugged. "It was just a small favor…"_

_"Then may I ask another small favor?" Reiji proposed. "Well…it may not be that small, but I suppose it could still be considered a favor."_

_"What is it?" Shingo asked. _

_Reiji glanced down at the manila envelope in his hands, "The pictures that I have here won't enough for L, that I am sure. If my thinking is accurate, I believe that he would request to go to the office personally. I would like to ask you to meet us at headquarters at say…23:00."_

_The Mido consulted his schedule; "I have an early morning meeting with Higuchi as we had set up, so I will need to be back at 2:00 if I'm to get a sufficient amount of sleep."_

_"Of course," the Namikawa nodded, "I'm sure it will only take an hour at most."_

_"Then it's fine," Shingo confirmed. "I'll call you when I'm there, you'll be going with the others, I suppose?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Very well then," said the other, moving to hang up, "I see you then."_

_"Hai."_

-------------------------Back at present time--------------------------

"How did you know to call him?" the detective asked suspiciously.

Smirking smugly, Reiji pulled his jacket on, covering his silk dress shirt. "I knew my pictures were insignificant, and considering the wonderful detective that you are, L, I suspected that you would want to go see the notebook for yourself, so I made arrangements. It seems like I was right."

"I see," L agreed. "Well, go on."

"Very well then, Mido and I will enter first," the Namikawa continued to explain. "We will deactivate the security system and loop the video feed as done previously. This late at night, there won't be that many people still in the building, but we do have the cleaning crews and the night shift occasionally showing up in the halls. So we still need to be cautious of being seen. I'll give you a call when we're in, so be ready to move. There is an entrance at the back with a blind spot to the cameras. Just follow the outside of the building and you'll see it, it's the first door with a small round window near the top. It's actually a stairwell exit, but don't worry, there aren't any alarms, I checked it out this afternoon."

"Wait," Light interrupted, holding up a hand. "You said you would loop the feed, so why do we have to avoid the security cameras?"

Reiji opened his mouth to answer, but L beat him to it. "Reiji can erase people walking inside certain areas of the building because there aren't that many. So long as we don't take too much time, it shouldn't be suspicious, but you can't do that outside when there are still hundreds of people milling around. Of course, that wouldn't be a problem, if Yotsuba hadn't been located on a…particularly busy intersection. It would be suspicious if the same people walked by over and over again, right?"

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Light sighed, "Right… _'I cannot believe I just asked that! I mean, an idiot can even see why! What's L going to think now…'_

"Well," teased the insomniac, "Don't fall asleep on me!"

Light immediately blushed, his inner pervert picking up on the double meaning. "S-sure…"

The Namikawa chuckled, "You two do make an interesting pair."

"Reiji!" a voice called out.

The trio turned to see a shadow step out from behind a building. "Shingo," the Namikawa addressed confidently. "I see you're early…"

As the man came into view, they took in the chocolate hair and the rimless glasses. Reaching out to take the extended hand, the guest shook Reiji's hand firmly. "Just a bit, I was finishing some last minute observations."

"Shingo, this is L and his…uh…acquaintance Light Yagami," the businessman introduced, gesturing to each. "You might have heard of his father, Soichiro Yagami, director of the Japanese police force…well, former director…"

"Hmmm," the Mido pondered, grasping Light's hand and nodding politely towards L. "It's a pleasure to do business with you both."

"The feeling is mutual," Light responded automatically.

"Mr. Mido," L inquired, "I would love to engage in introductions, but our time here is no doubt limited, let's meet tomorrow morning at the café before your scheduled time with Higuchi, so we can catch up, how does that sound?"

"…" Shingo blinked for a few seconds before hesitantly responding, "…I…well, that would be wonderful, but how-?"

"Mr. Namikawa has already informed us about your plans," the genius confirmed. "And I understand that you are in a hurry to get home and rest, so, why don't we all proceed with our designated tasks?"

"Of course," Reiji agreed. "Let's go, Shingo. We'll call you, Light, when we're ready."

"Understood," the younger Yagami nodded.

Light and L watched as the two Yotsuba members walked through the front doors of the building. "You don't think they'll reveal us, do you?" the teen asked softly.

"Let's hope that they don't," frowned L. "Come on, we'll wait by the door."

As the elder started forward, Light suddenly reached out and latched onto a thin wrist. "L, I want to ask you something…"

"Light," the detective warned. "This is not the time!"

Swallowing nervously at the elder's tone, he obeyed, "Sorry…"

Leaning for a swift peck on the other's cheek, L laced their fingers together, dragging the younger towards the back of the building, careful to stick to the walls and shadows. "Don't let your guard down in there."

"L, no need to warn me. I, of all people should know all about it," Light said, smirking slightly. "After all, we've worked together before, haven't we?"

Narrowing his eyes at the choice of words, the sugar loving genius studied the other, "Of…course."

Suddenly, something vibrated against Light's leg. "Moshi moshi?"

"Light," Reiji whispered. "Head up, the coast is clear."

"Hai," the Yagami responded, flipping the device closed. "They're ready."

"Let us make our way upstairs, then."

Reiji and Shingo made their ways up the steps to the front entrance of Yotsuba. Taking a deep breath, the elder asked the Namikawa, "Ready?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the younger faced the Mido, "Yes, you?"

"Yes," he replied, reaching and holding the door open for the other. "After you."

As the pair walked in, they were greeted by a very pissed off, very skeptical, very stubborn receptionist. "No visitors after 22:00. Please leave."

"Excuse us, Miss, bu-!" Shingo attempted to argue.

"Excuse ME, sir," the lady interrupted, "But there are to be no visitors here after 22:00, that is the strict rule. Nobody even works here after 20:00."

"Miss," Reiji addressed, suddenly on the defensive. _'How dare she speak to Shingo that way, after all he's done for the company!'_ "But we work here, please, don't interrupt with our business."

"Sir, if you indeed work here, then I'm sure you are aware that Mr. Higuchi has asked that no one be allowed to enter the building after said time."

_'What? What is she talking about …did he find out? Oh shit!'_ Suddenly, a steady hand was placed on Reiji's shoulder.

Squeezing comfortingly, Shingo jumped in, "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I happen to have forgotten something in my office. I just realized it and it is of immediate importance. Why else do you think I have dragged my co-worker out of bed at 23:30 at night?"

Twitching at the remark, the lady huffed angrily, "Mr. Higu-!"

"It doesn't matter what he says," Shingo stated calmly. "He heads things in his division, we do what we do in ours. Our matters are none of his concern."

Turning her head, the receptionist just decided to ignore the two persistent 'employees'. Had she known that these were two of the most important people in the building, she probably would have acted a little nicer, but alas, it was late and she was forced to sit at a desk instead of peacefully sleeping in bed, so she was grouchy. Unfortunately, that grouchiness was going to get her fired before she could say 'Higuchi'.

Buzzing their way through the door with their ID cards, Reiji muttered angrily into the other's ear, "I cannot believe she just did that!"

"Relax Reiji," the elder whispered back soothingly. Guiding the younger gently by the elbow, they quickly left the lady behind. "Don't worry yourself over it, I'm sure she is just a little sleepy."

"Tch, sleepy my ass!" Reiji spat back, surprising even himself at how angry he was. _'No one should talk to Shingo that way! No one!'_

The elder led the way to the security control room, "Reiji, is there something bothering you? You usually aren't this…short fused."

"Huh? Oh sorry," the younger said, blushing slightly.

Chuckling, the elder moved behind the Namikawa. "It's quite all right. You go in first."

"Hn," the younger nodded.

Silently pushing the door open, Reiji slipped inside stealthily. After about 20 or so seconds, the door opened again as the younger reached the pull the elder inside. "That was fast," murmured the Mido against the other's ear.

Walking up to the main desk, Shingo quickly typed in a few codes into the computer and then straightened. "There, the wiretaps are down."

"Now for the cameras," the Namikawa said.

"Reiji?" the elder asked. "Could you repeat what we did earlier? I have to go check something."

Raising an eyebrow, the younger nodded, "Sure."

Shingo walked over to the fallen police officer. Watching carefully as the chest moved up and down as the man breathed, his eyes widened. Moving silently to the other, he leaned in close and held the younger's wrists still. "Stay quiet, the officer over there is conscious."

Gasping slightly, the Namikwa understood. "I'm on it."

Taking Reiji's place at the computer, the younger walked toward the eavesdropping officer. Squatting next to the man, the Namikawa could see that he was relatively young. "Open your eyes, I know you're awake."

Stiffening, the man slowing blinked his eyes open. "W-what are you doing?"

"None of your concern," Reiji said threateningly. "But I'll have you know, if you so much as say a single word about this, I will have your badge, career, life, and possibly the life of any of your family." Upon seeing the sheer terror on the other's face the Namikawa felt slightly guilty. "If you just go home and pretend nothing happened, then you are free to go. Understood?"

Nodding quickly, the officer gazed at the businessman, transfixed.

"We're ready!" Shingo called out.

"Okay, now, all you need to do," Reiji directed, "Is calmly walk out the back door and not say a word."

The young officer got up shakily and managed to get out the door without collapsing.

"What did you do, Reiji?" the elder questioned accusingly, not turning away from the monitor.

Moving next to his companion, the Namikawa shrugged, "Just stated certain…conditions…"

"Very well," the Mido said, tight-lipped. "Make the call, we're clear.

"I see you made it all right?" Shingo asked as the pair met up with Light and L in front of Higuchi's office.

L nodded slightly, producing a lock pick from his pocket, he made easy work of the door. "Let's make this quick," he muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this for some reason."

The four of them stepped into the well-furnished room as Reiji headed directly for the drawer containing the Death Note, "It should be in here."

As the Namikawa pulled it out and showed it to the other occupants of the room, the elder Yotsuba member raised a startling question.

"Do you think it could be a fake?" Shingo asked anxiously.

Furrowing his brows, L raised a thumb to his lips, "That is very likely. Something as important as this would not just be left in an office drawer over the weekend… Unless, this whole situation is a set-up or a fake…or by some lucky chance this Higuchi person is a complete dunce."

Eyes widening in realization, Shingo quickly grabbed Reiji's elbow, "We need to get out of here…"

"Wait," interrupted Light. Gingerly taking the notebook from L's hands, the Yagami flipped through it carefully, taking notice of the different handwriting on the pages where names were written. _'This is mostly my handwriting in here…L's bound to notice it…'_ Just to make absolutely certain, Light flipped towards the page with the bottom corner ripped out, the piece of paper currently residing in his watch. "No" he breathed, "…this is the real thing…"

"How can you be sure?" Reiji asked, leaning for a better look. "Have you seen this before or something?"

Thinking frantically for a better reason than 'I just know', Light raised his eyes and merely pointed a finger at the closed door. "No, that's why…"

Rem stood there, hunched and frowning, Shingo gasped and Reiji immediately put a hand on his shoulder. L just stared, eyes widening by the second, unable to keep his gaze from the horrible creature in front of him. They had all at least touched the Death Note, so the shinigami was there in plain sight of all of them.

Acting swiftly and silently, Light pulled a pen out of his pocket and flipped to the last page in the notebook:

_Leave,_ she_ doesn't know anything yet, it will be safer to keep her in the dark._

_I am aware of the past, and I do not plan on continuing._

Pulling the pocket camera that L had provided him with; the Yagami began to silently take pictures of every page in the Death Note with writing on it, except the last one, of course.

Finally, putting the notebook where it belonged, he gently tugged the detective by the sleeve and grabbed Namikawa's elbow, leading the other three out of the room, closely watched by Rem.

Quickly exiting the building, the four of them hurried into the limo. There were no cocky banter or joking laughs, everybody was quiet. "You acted very well, Light," L eventually commented, breaking the silence.

Reaching and interlacing their fingers together, Light shrugged nervously. "Just did what I had to do, of course."

As the four of the sat in a tense silence, the Yagami's mind was in hyper mode. _'What's better, to let L have the pleasure of finding proof that I'm Kira and imprisoning me in a federal jail on the spot…and possibly killing me…or both, or saving my ass and just telling him I'm Kira. Hm, I wonder?'_ He sighed, leaning his head on L's shoulder, breathing in his scent. _'I really didn't want him to find out…but perhaps it's for the best.'_

Suddenly, the car stopped and Watari opened the back door, holding it open for the four to get out. Leading the way swiftly upstairs, L showed the two Yotsuba members to their floor and bid them good night, practically dragging the younger to their room. Once they finally got inside, L pulled Light in and slammed the door shut.

"How did you know it was real?" L demanded.

"What-?" Light asked, startled at the forcefulness of L's tone.

"How did you know the Death Note was real? I sure as hell know that the shinigami wasn't in the room when you were looking at the notebook." L explained, cornering the younger.

"L-!"

"Don't L me!" the elder seethed. "I want answers, and I want them now! It's not only my life that I have to worry about now. If we have Namikawa and Mido with us, I am bound by my honor to make sure they get out of the situation alive!"

Light hung his head, _'I guess I have no choice…'_

"Light, you have to tell me," L asked again, this time more gently, "what is bothering you?"

The Yagami stared at the floor, "B-before I go on…I want to tell you that…I've changed, I'm not the same person anymore!"

"What do you mean?"

Light took a deep breath, "I…I used to be Kira-!"

Gasping, the elder stared horrified at the Yagami. "So I was right...I knew it-!" L exclaimed jerking away violently away from the younger.

"I…know, and…I'm sorry I was so manipulative before, but the truth is," Light closed his eyes, calming himself down. _'Shit, if I screw this up now…'_

Taking several deep breaths, the elder studied the Yagami. "T-there's more, isn't there?" the genius asked hesitantly. As smart as he was though, the fact that Light had revealed the truth to his face wasn't sinking in.

Nodding shamefully, the younger continued, "…and I know this sounds totally absurd, but…I was also dead before…_you_ were also dead before…I…I had you killed…"

L stood there, stunned. The detective found that he couldn't comprehend what was being said to him, he was so shocked by the confession, this new information both amazing and scaring him. "I was…dead…and you had me…murdered…?"

Averting is eyes, the Yagami nodded again in confirmation, "A little while after you released me, even after you had declared me your first friend, I had Rem…the shinigami you saw today, write your name in her Death Note on the pretense that it would protect Misa Amane… After you were gone, nobody stood in my path to being the ruler of the… 'New world'. But, I guess not long after, Wammy house sent Near to investigate and Mello kind of came into the picture on his own. Towards the end of their investigation, Ryuk wrote my name in his Death Note and…that's when I got resurrected back into the present time…"

L glared at Light for a good five minutes before voicing his suspicions. "How do I know you're telling the truth? And even if you are, is this the complete truth?"

Light blinked, "I…uh…well, it's a brief summary of the complete truth…but how do I prove to you?"

"I don't know, I just want something," the genius glared.

Raking his brains for any piece of information that would prove his story true, Light frowned deeply. After some thought, he finally declared, "I know your real name."

Unable to contain his surprise, L flinched, rattling the chain on the handcuffs. "What is it then?" he asked slowly.

"I also know Watari's," the Yagami hurried on. "And…Near's and Mellow's…"

"Then what are they?" L demanded cautiously, eyes wide with anticipation and fear.

"…W-Watari is the owner of Wammy House, his real name is Quillish Wammy…" Light gulped nervously, "Near is Nate River, chosen to be your successor and Mellow is…Mihael Keehl…the two of them were fierce rivals and…because Near got the roll of taking your place, he went and tried…to obtain the Death Note by himself…"

"And in your…previous life, you went and eliminated all of them?" L gasped.

"N-no, not exactly," the Yagami admitted. "Watari was…gone the same time you were killed…and Mellow went at a later date, but Near…Near was the one that finally outwitted me…"

Finally able to grasp the sheer magnitude of the new information that Light new, there was no doubt that what he said, had actually happened…but there was still something L needed to be sure of. "If you know…all of that…then, what is _my _name?"

Biting his lip nervously, Light looked up into L's eyes, praying that he would understand, "Your real name is…Lawliet…L Lawliet…" Not even waiting for a reply, he leaned up, and hesitantly placed a feather light kiss on the elder's lips, pouring all of his emotion into the chaste touch.

The world literally cracked in L's mind. "I…see… So, if you were Kira, you could personally kill me at…anytime?"

"Theoretically," nodded Light. "I wouldn't kill you…ever, not again."

Slowly turning away and walking as far as the chain would allow, the detective pondered the situation for a few moments.

'_Everything he's said has been true…everything. Right down to my name… The question is, however, how much of _his_ story is actually real? Humans cannot prove there is such a thing as resurrection, but Light is here, and he…either knew the future or predicted with amazing accuracy. Near and Mellow would have undoubtedly both tried to follow my footsteps. And with me gone, it would've been an ideal situation for Light. 'Working' with the police to catch Kira while still committing murders in secret, that would have been perfect, and it seems like it was, just with one…two minor setbacks. But can resurrection even happen? The fact that he has all his memories seems too good to be true, but there are always things that people will not understand about life…'_

"Light," L asked quietly, "Even if I were to trust you, how do I know that you aren't plotting against me again?"

"If I had wanted to kill you," he answered truthfully, "Then I would have done it already…there are plenty of ways I outwitted you before…"

"Such as?" inquired Light, turning to face the younger again.

"Well…for one, I kept a piece of the Death Note in my watch," shrugged the Yagami. "And I placed a mini-LCD television in my potato chip bag in order to commit crimes without you noticing when you bugged my house…"

Both eyebrows heading towards his hairline, the detective marveled, "As…expected of one of the smartest high school students in Japan…"

"Actually, L," joked Light, "I am the smartest, you aren't in high school."

Stepping closer to the Yagami, the genius smirked, "If you insist…"

Swallowing, Light watched as the elder came closer, "I'm really sorry, L. I know now what I did was wrong and…I honestly just want to catch Kira…"

"Let's say that I were to believe you," L considered. "What happened last time we were in this situation?"

"Higuchi was Kira last time," Light answered. "But Namikawa and Mido never really worked with us, and we never even went to Yotsuba. I'm afraid the circumstances are different this time."

"I see," L frowned, bringing his thumb to his lips. "Very well. I will go with your story for now, although I believe it will take some time for me to get used to, but I will trust you for now. Thank you for telling me, Light."

Drawing a quick breath, Light blushed slightly, "So…uh…does that mean we're…?"

Looking the younger straight in the eyes, L leaned down and whispered against the other's lips, "To be entirely honest, Light…even if you were Kira…now…still…I wouldn't be able to break up with you…"

Eyes widening at the confession, Light let himself go as the warm tongue invaded his mouth, the slight sweetness of strawberry cake and intense flavor of L overwhelming him completely. Running his hands slowly up the other's abdomen, the younger wound his arms around L's neck, feeling the elder gripping his hips harshly. "Mmm," Light moaned, unable to contain himself.

Breaking off the kiss slowly, L pulled the younger to him in a rare moment of weakness. "I don't want to think of a world with out you, Light…not to sound to like a certain Misa Amane, though."

Burying his face in L's neck, Light smiled softly, "Trust me, L, the feelings are mutual."

"Shingo," the Namikawa called from his position on the bed, "Why did you agree to work with us?"

Reiji was clad in a pair of silk pajamas that L and co. had so generously provided them with. His hair was neatly combed and dried after a quick shower. Reclining back against the headboard, he soaked in the extravagant surroundings.

"Somebody needs to keep an eye you," the Mido replied, walking out of the bathroom wearing nothing but black boxers. "Everyone knows how reckless you can get..."

"Hmmm," the younger acknowledged, forcing himself to look away from the exposed skin still glistening with water droplets, a slight blush sweeping over his controlled features. "Is that…the only reason?" he asked hesitantly.

Shingo paused, "What do want me to say, Reiji?" The elder pulled on a shirt, covering his lightly muscled chest. "That I'm doing this for the good of Yotsuba? That I'm doing this for you?" Facing the other, he sighed. "I'm doing because I care about the future of our company, but also your safety…"

The younger blushed darkly, _'So it wasn't so much of a secret…'_ "You knew all along about my…"

"…crush?" the Mido smiled understandingly. When Reiji nodded sheepishly, he sat down at the edge of the bed and took one of the Namikawa's hands in his, tracing the lines of his palm gently. "I'm not as clueless as you apparently take me for, and even if I was, your blatant staring during our meetings is more than proof enough." He chuckled softly when he felt Reiji shiver at the touch, "It's cute, really, how self-conscious you can be at times…"

Glaring lightly at the elder, Reiji snorted, "I'm not insecure or anything, it's just…I just…"

"…didn't think that I'd think of you in the same way?" Shingo finished.

"Yeah," the Namikawa sighed. "It's…embarrassing…"

The finger abruptly stopped moving, freezing in place directing in the center of the younger's palm. "You're embarrassed about it?"

"No, no!" the Namikawa immediately started, "I didn't mean it that way…"

Shingo resumed his tracing, "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know," agreed Reiji, smiling at the other. Pulling the elder up next to him, the Namikawa rested his head on Shingo's shoulder. "Do you…like me too?"

Placing an arm protectively around Reiji, the Mido leaned his head on top of the younger's, "I suppose it's something we could consider…"

Reiji smiled and quickly leaned up to kiss the other. Wrapping his arms around Shingo's neck, he quickly straddled the elder, "Mmmm."

Exploring the Namikawa's mouth was bliss, _'How long have I waited to do this? How long have I waited for him to admit?'_ Breaking the delicious contact, the younger rested his head on the Mido's chest, while the other absently stroked his hair. "So," he murmured. "What do you think of L?"

Shifting into a more comfortable position on top of the elder, Reiji relaxed, "I believe…he is perfectly capable of solving this case."

"And Light?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Reiji retaliated, lifting his head to look at the other.

"Just answer the question," ordered the Mido, stroking the jet-black hair. "I'm only concerned about your safety…"

"I have my suspicions," Reiji admitted. "From what I've researched, he is currently tied for number one in Japan for academics."

"Oh?" wondered the Mido, raising an eyebrow. "He seemed a bit distracted today."

The younger smirked, "He's been preoccupied with his boyfriend."

"I don't think L was the only on his mind," Shingo said. "This whole situation seems to bother him."

Leaning up and placing a chaste peck on the elder's lips, Reiji hummed, "Whatever it is, we'll ask him about it tomorrow before your meeting with Higuchi. How does that sound?"

Wrapping his arms around the Namikawa, Shingo consented, "Alright." _'I just with this wasn't on such dangerous circumstances…who knows what tomorrow will bring…'_


	6. Sex, Guns, and Interrogations

Heeey! We're back…_after a loooooong looooooong break! Sorry about that!_ Yeah, we both had stuff to do for school (sports, tests, extra-curriculars, and such). _We're sorry, but we've started writing again. I managed to crank this chappie out in three days! _Three days that included planning, typing, and editing, I'M SO PROUD! But excuse us for any mistakes we might have missed.

_So, due to our absence, Shannon decided to plan in a semi-lemonish thingy…I personally think it's a little out of place (and my amateurish style for writing it is probably going to be awkward), but please…I'm fourteen, so don't hurt me for it! ^_^' _IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY YAOI IN ANYWAY, DO NOT READ THE ITALICS. But everything else should be fine! XD

Disclaimer: We do not in anyway own Death Note, but we are associated with it by means of this fanfiction. We do not make money or claim that we own Death Note through the writing of this fanfiction, it is only for our amusement and no other reason…except to get reviews from our marvelous readers!!! :D :D :D

Chapter 6: Sex, Guns, and Interrogations

L held the door to the café open as Light hurried through to the table where Reiji and Shingo were sitting. "Sorry," mumbled the younger as they took their seats, cheeks flushed from their rush.

"It seems the two lovebirds are fashionably late," Namikawa commented dryly. "I wonder why…"

Light blushed even darker and looked away as Mido chuckled at his reaction. "It's none of your business…"

'_Why indeed?'_ thought L as he reminisced on the morning's events.

---------------------------Before the meeting--------------------------

_The detective blinked his eyes open sleepily as bright morning sunlight streamed in through the window, thoroughly blinding him for a few moments. Relaxing into the bed, the detective glanced down to see a slumbering Light resting peacefully against his chest. L was usually the first to wake and this was a sight he had grown accustomed to. 'Four and a half hours of sleep tonight, not to bad considering I was up until three making plans for today's meeting…'_

_He wrapped his arms tighter around the younger, nuzzling into the rich locks, careful not to disturb Light's beauty sleep. L smirked, it was surprising how cranky the Yagami could be if he was woken up the wrong way. _

_The pair stayed like that for a while, L just holding his boyfriend to him in a protective embrace. He sighed, 'If only life could be this calm…but then again, where's the fun in that?'_

_Light shifted slightly and snuggled deeper into his 'pillow' and moaned, "Mmmm…"_

_Smiling slightly, L gently pulled the younger up and kissed him softly. "Wake up sleepy head, we have a meeting to catch."_

_Shaking his head, the Yagami groaned sleepily, burying his head further into the elder's neck. "5 more minutes…"_

_"And what difference would 300 more seconds make?"_

_"Enough to make a difference…"_

_"You'll get lazy if you don't get up soon, it's already 7:45, now move!"_

_"You kept me up till 2:30 this morning, so shut it!"_

_"And what was I doing that kept you up until then?"_

_"You were moving around and you kept brushing against me and touching me randomly and-!"_

_Smirking, L reached under the younger's shirt, which was by now riding half way up Light's stomach and ran his fingers gently over the younger's ribs and spine. Unbeknownst to many people, the Yagami was extremely sensitive there and responded immediately to the teasing touches. "How was I touching you?"_

_Light gasped, burying himself further into the elder's chest. "Y-you kept…ah…stroking my thighs…"_

_The detective moved his hands down lower and slid his hands teasingly up and down his lover's thighs, occasionally coming up to cup his ass. "Like this?"_

_"Yeah," groaned the younger. _

_Suddenly, L dipped a hand into Light's boxers and dipped his finger suggestively into the Yagami's ass crack._

_Eyes flying open, the younger squirmed and twisted in L's grip and eventually ended up reversing their positions to that the elder was on top. "Damn it, L!" he panted, blushing fiercely. "What was that?!"_

_"Hmmm? Sorry, I guess I just go a little carried away," deadpanned the detective, seeming not the least bit sorry. Pecking those luscious lips lightly and pulling off of the younger, L nagged, "Come on, it's already almost time to go."_

_Pulling on the handcuffs so that Light was forced to get up, he all but dragged the younger to the bathroom. "Now, now, Light," L teased, his voice deep and husky. "It would be embarrassing for us to both show up late, wouldn't it." _

_Light gasped as his ass was pushed up against the sink, L effectively trapping his body against the hard surface. "Mmmm, embarrassing for you, maybe, but worth it for me…"_

_L smiled devilishly, "Oh really? And how would it be worth it?"_

_Light groaned as his erection brushed against the elder's. "Fuuuuuck! I want you to suck me off…" the Yagami declared shamelessly, reaching and tangling elegant fingers in silky black strands of hair. "We've been together how many months now…don't you think we're ready for this?"_

_"I haven't been keep track, but I know I've _been_ ready," the elder admitted as he got down on his knees in front of an extremely flushed, extremely aroused Light Yagami. "You want me to suck you off, Light?"_

_"Yes," whimpered the younger, as his hard on twitched in his tented underwear excitedly. _

_The elder smirked as he nipped the bulge through the thin layer of fabric, eliciting a sexy moan from the other. "How much do you want it?"_

_"Don't make me beg, Lawliet," growled the teen, causing the elder to quirk an eyebrow. "Just do it already! …Please!" he exclaimed just for good measure._

_Satisfied, L grinned smugly as he tugged down the offending under shorts and licked his lips as the younger's manhood bounced freely from its confines. The elder admired the Yagami's length appreciatively as he gently blew on the head where a drop of glistening precome gathered. "Oh, yeah…" Light's shaft was just slightly curved upward and the thick head that was blushing a dark pink, just beckoning him to take it into his mouth. "You're so sexy like this, Light."_

_"Good to know you think so," the Yagami retorted through half-lidded eyes._

_Leaning forward, the detective gently licked the slit on the underside of Light's cock, drawing out a loud moan from the younger, "Fuck, just like that…mmm!"_

_Swirling his tongue over the tip, L suckled sensuously on the swollen flesh, savoring the delicious saltiness of Light's essence. Slowly, little by little, he engulfed Light's member into his mouth. When his nose was buried in the soft brown curls at the base, the elder gradually increased his suction as he moved back up. _

_Light was on cloud nine as his cock was teased by his boyfriend, L could sure deep throat… His manhood glistened with saliva as the elder bobbed his head over the entire length, each time sucking a little harder than before. "Ah!"_

_L closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of the younger's manhood moving in and out of his mouth, each time passing his gag reflex easily. The detective had a rather uncomfortable problem in his pants right now, but he chose to ignore it. He basked in the moans and gasps that he was able to get from the younger. _

_Reaching up, the elder brought his hands to the Yagami's balls and gently massaged them in time with his sucking._

_"L-L," Light choked. "I…I'm gonna-!"_

_L eagerly swallowed Light's sweetness as he came hard into the detective's mouth. Milking the younger dry, he moaned as he pulled off the softening member with a soft 'pop' and licked his mouth where a little trail of cum had escaped. "That was hot…" he whispered softly as he leaned up to claim the Yagami's lips in a heated kiss._

_Light eagerly responded, tasting himself along the L. Breaking the delicious contact, he glanced down at L's obvious 'problem'. "So…uh…"he stuttered, blushing uncomfortably._

_"Don't worry," L said, undoing his handcuff. "I'll take care of it, you go make breakfast."_

_"Wha-?" Light was cut off by another kiss from the elder._

_"We're going to be really really late if we don't hurry, Light."_

-----------------------------------Back at the Meeting------------------------------------------------

Light sat back in his chair, sipping casually at his coffee as he listened to L talk with Mido and Namikawa. Their entrance had been…awkward, but the uncomfortable feeling eventually evaporated…especially when they noticed that the other two were practically sitting next to each other, shoulders touching, hands occasionally bumping into each other's…

Said detective was currently perched quite precariously on the edge of the cushion of his chair. "Alright," he began. "Let's review what's going to happen. Namikawa, you will enter the building first. Go up to Higuchi's floor and wait in the vacant room next door. If it is not in fact empty as we are assuming, then stand outside and pretend to be waiting to speak with Higuchi. Next, Mido will go the meeting as planned and try to find out as much as you can about the situation. In case of an emergency, Namikawa, you are responsible for getting him out safely, or as safely as possible. Is that clear?"

Namikawa raised an eyebrow, "And you came up with this, when?"

Light set down his drink and smirked, "I'm sure you can tell, but L's somewhat of an insomniac. In fact, he claims he comes up with his most ingenious plans in the dead of night."

"Mhmm," Reiji nodded skeptically.

"Trust me," the Yagami grumbled wryly, "I have to put up with it."

Smiling softly, Mido turned to L. "I take it that you've come up with a backup plan as well?"

"Naturally," replied the younger, grimacing as he tasted his coffee and quickly added a couple more cubes of sugar. "I want to take Higuchi back to headquarters and interrogate him after this, so if possible, don't harm him. But, as skilled as I expect both of you to be, I am fully anticipating that he will escape. Therefore, Light and I will be stationed outside in the helicopter. Mr. Yagami and everybody back at base will be on standby incase extra reinforcements are needed."

"Understood," said Namikawa, standing up and straightening his tie. "I'll be going then, don't be long Shingo."

Mido just smiled, "I won't."

L stood up as well, "I had my team prepare a little…something for both of you. Here are rings for you to wear. Mido you will wear the one with the diamond, and wear it in reverse so it's not showing. Namikawa, you will wear the receiver. When the diamond is pressed, the receiver will vibrate, notifying you, Reiji, that Shingo is in need of assistance. We, in the helicopter and at base, will also the receive alert, when that happens, we will be ready."

As both of the Yotsuba members slipped on their new jewelry, Namikawa put a hand on Mido's shoulder. "Don't go playing hero, Shingo…"

"I won't," promised the other. "Now get going, I'm going to be late if we wait any longer."

"Good luck."

"Ah! Mido, how nice to see you!" Higuchi drawled in his pompous way. "I called to ask if we could reschedule, I mean, it's so early, but nobody picked on your home or cell phone. Where were you last night?"

_'No doubt he is expecting me to say that I was enjoying the evening.'_ "I apologize terribly, but even if I had answered, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to reschedule. But I was catching up on paperwork. I even had to run back here with Namikawa to retrieve some that I had forgotten."

"Yeah, my secretary told me about that…" Higuchi scowled. "But she did mention that you never came back out."

"Well, after our…not so pleasant first encounter, Namikawa and I both decided that it would be better to exit out the back," replied Mido stiffly. "But onto the main topic, I wanted to ask you something about Kira."

"What about Kira?" Higuchi barked rather harshly.

Blinking, Shingo continued calmly, "Well, I…and a couple other people were wondering if _you _know who Kira is."

"Why would I know?"

"Oh! They've just been doing such a wonderful job, that we've been curious to who this genius is," Shingo praised, trying his luck.

That did it, Higuchi's inflated ego surfaced immediately. "And, how do you know that you haven't already met him?" giving a hint by raising his eyebrows.

"We've all met him, that's obvious," Mido said, laughed lightly, choosing to ignore the look the elder was sending him. "He has to be one of the seven of us!"

"Right, right," Higuchi muttered, running a calloused hand through greasy hair. "Well, I mean, maybe one of us is giving information to Kira. Maybe one of us is being bribed somehow and just wants the money coming from the company _and_ the benefactor."

"I suppose that could be a possibility…but what would said benefactor want to do with Yotsuba? What advantage would that be to him…?" Shingo stored the information that the man was telling him away to report to L later. "So, who do you think would be capable of doing something like that and keep it secret for so long?"

Higuchi smirked, "How about that precious Namikawa of yours? He was always and ambitious one, eager to get to the top…and cold-hearted too! Have you seen him at the meetings, he doesn't care who he kills!"

Shingo squinted, throwing a dangerous glare in the other's direction. "Namikawa would do nothing of the sort!" he growled through clenched teeth. "Perhaps you're Kira, you've awfully defensive about it!"

Higuchi actually flinched at the accusation and a hand was already reaching to open the drawer in which the Death Note was hidden. He had been found out! "Why would you think that? What have I done that was the least bit suspicious?"

"You're the only one of all of us you has the mind twisted enough to manipulate people the way you do," Mido spat. "And you say that Namikawa doesn't care who he kills! You're one to talk, look at what you did to Hatori!"

"What I did? I can assure you that I am not Kira…" Pulling the notebook out and reaching for a pen, Higuchi snorted, "All this yelling is uncharacteristic of you, Mido…and in Namikawa's account too. It makes me think there's something going on between the two of you. Now, you're not gay, are you?"

Seeing the actions the elder was taking, Shino calmly pressed the diamond on his ring as he retorted harshly, "Are you suggesting it's wrong?" When he receive a smug nod, he continued, "It's not as wrong as asking a girl twelve years younger, someone who obviously does not show interest, to marry them!"

"Hmmm, well, we'll see about tha-SHIT!!!" Kyosuke suddenly yelled as he grabbed his mangled writing hand, a bullet lodged between the bones, blood flowing like a river.

Namikawa upon receiving the signal from his ring; immediately went to Mido's aid. Now, standing in the doorway, gun in hand, he aimed at the offending Yotsuba member. "Don't move, Higuchi!" he said threateningly. "You so much as twitch and I will kill you!"

"Will you, now?" taunted Higuchi. "Do you really have the guts to pull that trigger again?"

A flicker of doubt showed on Namikawa's face and in that split second, Kyosuke had whipped out a pistol, aimed, and shot at the younger, the bullet slicing off a chunk of skin and muscle on Reiji's left arm. Turning, Higuchi cursed as he reached for the Death Note, seeing that Shingo had already grabbed it and was already shielded behind a bookshelf. Deciding to rather make it out alive than try to get it back, the elder ran out the door, giving Reiji a solid punch in the face as a parting gift.

Still reeling from the force of the punch the Namikawa hauled himself up as Mido's soft voice drifted over to him.

"L," Shingo spoke urgently into the phone. "Yes…be ready, I'm guessing he's exiting through the North entrance."

Reiji, one hand clamped down on his arm, raced after the fleeing villain. Managing to catch up to the elder, a swift kick to the back of the knees sent Higuchi tumbling down the stairs to the floor below. The Namikawa leaned against the wall, clutching his wound. He watched as Higuchi crawled in pain towards the elevator. Pulling out the gun again, Namikawa managed to fire few shots and, even if they didn't hit, still had the desired effect.

Pounding footsteps to his right distracted him as Higuchi pulled himself into the elevator.

"Reiji!" a frantic voice called out. "Reiji! Are you all right?" The elder crouched down beside the younger as he gently stroked the Namikawa's hair.

"Y-yeah…"

"Do you need to go to a hospital?" Mido asked worriedly. "You're really pale."

Namikawa blinked, "It's just a flesh wound, nothing a tight bandage won't fix." Reaching up, he brushed trembling fingers to the other's face. "What about you? …if I hadn't been faster…you might have died there…:"

Mido smiled, tight-lipped, "I'm all right…for now…"

"Now Light! Bring us lower," commanded L, gun in hand. They had decided that Watari should stay back at headquarters for this operation, for L was fairly skilled with a gun and felt that Light was more than capable of flying the copter.

The detective had spotted the Yotsuba member running towards his car in the parking lot and was already preparing to fire the sedative dart that his team had prepared. "That's good, I can see him in my sight.!" L pulled the trigger.

As the man fell to the ground, Namikawa and Mido were already running from the entrance towards the scene. As Reiji sprinted towards the escape vehicle holding his arm to prevent more bleeding, Shingo was dragging the body away.

Namikawa winced slightly as Mido gently tied the bandage around the wound on his upper arm. "Thank you."

"Hm," smiled the elder. "Just make sure that it doesn't get infected."

"I do believe that was a very successful operation!" L declared, shuffling into the room with a tray of candies and assorted sweets that Watari had brought for him. "I honestly was anticipating more severe injuries-!"

"L, don't underestimate us, now," Reiji interrupted wryly. "We're not helpless when it comes to hand-to-hand combat…"

Light snorted, "Not in the least, considering all you do is sit around in an office filling out papers every day."

"Is that what you think our job is all about?" questioned Shingo playfully. "I don't think you fully understand the different responsibilities that are bestowed on us businessmen…"

"…of course, Mido," joined the other. "There are the parties, the business trips, which tire you out like nothing else, the…uh, well…the occasional interrogations with suspected-mass-murderers," Namikawa listed sarcastically, gesturing to the one-way glass that separated the group from where Higuchi was currently being held.

L chuckled, "Yes, Light. You can't expect them to just do nothing other than sign their signatures all the time. Look at me, what else am I supposed to do when I'm not working on a case…and eating all these sweets, do I look lazy to you?"

Light blushed, "Uh…um…you're…uh…"

"How cute," Reiji teased. "You got him to blush."

L just smiled and popped another sweet into his mouth.

"Shut up!" rebuked the younger. "And you," pointed an accusing finger at the detective, "You shouldn't say things like that, you…you evil-!"

"You know the saying 'You are what you eat?'," L interrupted, staring at a particularly interesting candy. "Well, considering that I only eat sweets, then one might say that I'm all sweet…and definitely not evil…"

"Are you saying I'm _not_ sweet?" squinted the Yagami, irritated.

"Oh, you're sweet alright, I should know," teased the elder, licking his lips suggestively.

Both Namikawa and Mido burst out laughing at the confused younger. "He got you there, Light."

"What?"

"It's nothing, Light," L finally responded after a fit of giggles.

L crouched in the swivel chair as he spoke clearly into the microphone in the booth outside the interrogation room, "Kyosuke Higuchi, you are now under arrest by the Japanese police. We expect full cooperation from you or we will not hesitate to use force to get a confession."

Mind still clouded from the sedative, Higuchi rasped, "What would the Japanese police want with me? You sound a lot like L…that voice filter…it's exactly like his…"

On the other side of the tinted glass, L scowled. "I suppose there is no escaping it, Namikawa! Proceed with the interrogation."

"Yes, sir," grumbled the elder. Taking his place in front of the microphone, he read what was already prewritten on the sheet in front of him. "The Japanese police was notified immediately after detective L suspected that you were Kira. We were given piles of evidence to prove it. I hope that you believe what we are saying and just confess, it would save both of us a lot of time and trouble."

"I'm not Kira!" Higuchi seethed, fighting against the duct-tape that bound him to the wood chair. "Why would you even suspect-?"

"Then, can you please," Reiji interrupted icily, "explain why the existence of a notebook titled 'Death Note' with all records of deaths written in it, is in your possession? Why are all these names and ways of death written in here? Many of them in your handwriting, no less?"

"I-I don't know what you are talking about," lied the prisoner.

"Then please tell us why the name Shingo Mido is partially written," Namikawa clenched his fists together as he refrained from sounding angry. "According to Mr. Mido's account, you were in the process of writing down his name in order to kill when Mr. Namikawa intervened just in time. Please, explain this to us."

"What kind of sick joke is this? You police are out of your minds!" shouted the Yotsuba member, firmly believing that he could lie his way out. "I am NOT Kira! I'm a successful businessman working for a respected company! You cannot do this to me! Just wait until my lawyers get you for this!"

Reiji switched off the microphone halfway through Higuchi's explanations. He sighed, rubbing a hand tiredly over his face. "I told you he would be stubborn. But there is no doubt that he believes that we are the Japanese police…he was never very bright…"

"That's good," Light agreed. "But, how do we get him to confess so that we can get the police to arrest him?"

L brought his thumb to his lips out of sheer habit, "…we can keep him detained until he talks, but that would take too long… Namikawa, Mido, when must the both of you return to work?"

"We've both scheduled a two week long vacation as of last night," Mido informed. "But, being the head of a sector, we can take as long as there isn't a crisis where we are needed…it's one of the perks of being on top…"

"I see," muttered L. "Namikawa, notify Higuchi that we will prove that we are serious."

Switching on the microphone again, the Namikawa addressed his former business partner, "How do you know that we do not have evidence against you? I apologize for not revealing this earlier, but you've been under police surveillance for almost three weeks now. We know everything that you have done in that time and we have video, audio, and first hand witness accounts of it. Are you saying that you did not attempt to kill Shingo Mido at 9:16 yesterday morning? Can you prove that the handwriting in the Death Note is not, indeed, yours? And can you deny that you have not been attending meetings discussing the murders of top executive members of the world's leading businesses?"

"How can you prove that the tapes or audio are real?" accused Higuchi. "Anything can be animated with all the computer software we have today!"

"Higuchi," Namikawa suddenly said, his voice tone down a notch. "I just want to warn you. Your capture has already been released to the newspapers as of a few hours ago. Tomorrow morning, everyone in Japan will know that it was you. Even if you don't confess, your reputation as a 'successful businessman from a respected company' will never be believed again."

"What are you doing?" hissed Mido. "He was only taken in this morni-!"

"It's all right, Shingo, a little white lie never hurt anybody," reassured Light. "If we put enough pressure on him and create even a little bit of doubt, a man with such a disposition as Higuchi would easily crack. But even if we get the confession, what would we do with him? Should we kill him? Turn him in?"

"I'm sure the Japanese police can do something," Namikawa mused as he turned off the microphone again, allowing their 'prisoner' some time to think about what his response. "We'll hand this matter over to them once we're done with this."

Suddenly, a broken voice sounded over the speakers. "I…confess…I am Kira…but there's something else. There's still something else that you don't know about."

Everyone was suddenly alert, "…and what is thing we don't know about?"

In the interrogation room, feeling dreadfully vulnerable, Higuchi trembled as he spoke. "There's somebody else…somebody else that's telling me…things…give me orders…" '_When this goes public, then I'm dead…but if I die, then I might as well bring everyone down with me!'_

Light gasped. "L…this could be potentially disastrous for all of us!" he whispered in urgent tones to his partner. "I have no idea what's going on!"

L's brows furrowed as he took Namikawa's spot, "And who is this somebody that is the mastermind in this situation?"

Panting now, sweat traveled trickled down Higuchi's face and neck, soaking the collar of this shirt. "A woman, I don't know her name, but a woman in the United States. She's been telling me what to do… I don't know why, but she blackmailed me. And the shinigami seems to be cooperating with her…I-!"

"That is enough for now," declared L suddenly. Switching all lights off in the interrogation room, Watari entered and returned a few moments later with a blindfolded Higuchi who was led away to a holding cell. "He has no living family members and I do not believe that he will be missed at work, so we have as long as we need. But this woman…to be able to control this situation from the United States…"

"…yes," Light agreed. "She would have to be an extremely talented strategist and have many informants…"

"But what interest would she have with Yotsuba?" questioned Mido.

"Could she be an aspiring businesswoman who spotted the corruption in our company and is using for her own ends? Or is there something private that we do not know about?" Namikawa thought out loud, massaging his temples.

"There are too many variables in this situation as of right now," concluded L. "We will wait for Higuchi to calm down and then question him some more. But for the moment…we have some research to do. Mogi! Aizawa!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Find out all you can about this situation or anything related to it in the Americas," ordered the head detective. "Mr. Yagami?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to contact your men in the U.S. and ask them to do us a favor by looking through any files they might have on a woman involved with anything related to the Death Note or Yotsuba."

"Of course," the elder Yagami nodded. "Take care of my son for me.'

"Don't worry," assured L. "He'll be perfectly safe."

"Do you plan on going there, L?" Namikawa questioned.

"Yes," L nodded determinedly. "I plan to leave as soon as we have sufficient leads to get us somewhere without have to search blindly."

"But remember, L," Mido added. "We do have somewhat of a time limit. Reiji and I are expected back in two weeks…"

"Is there anyway that it could be lengthened?" L asked.

Namikawa contemplated it for a second, "We can wait till the last minute and request another vacation leave, but I can guarantee that with Higuchi gone, there will be complications... Not everybody in Yotsuba is a complete dunce, people will get suspicious if we take forever."

"Yes," Mido acknowledged. "That could work…"

"Wonderful," L nodded. "I think this was enough work for one day. Light and I will be retiring to our room. There are some things that we need to discuss. I would…highly suggest that you and Mido do that same thing. We will all need our rest for tomorrow."

"Well," L asked as he nuzzled is nose into the younger's hair. "What do you think now? I'm guessing that this is completely different from last time?"

"Yeah," sighed the Yagami as he rested. "If he had mentioned a man, then I would've suspected Mellow, but I don't know anything about a woman getting involved. Come to think about it, right now was about the time I murdered you and Watari."

L stiffened slightly at the mention of his 'death', but continued to hold the other. He leaned his head back against the headboard as he thought, _'We can't depend on anything that Light might have remembered from his take on what happened before, but now that we have Higuchi…we could squeeze a lot of information out of him…theoretically. If he doesn't know anything else about this person and everybody else cannot come up with anything, then we will be forced to go on a wild goose chase to search for a suspected criminal who might as well not even exist. We must move cautiously and be careful not to overlook any details.' _"Light, I want to ask you something."

Lifting his head to look at the elder, the teen raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I hope that I'm not bringing back bad memories with it, but what was your original intention as Kira?" the detective asked in all seriousness.

Light swallowed, turning his head away, "I…wanted to rid the world of crime, so that horrible things didn't keep repeating themselves. In a sense, I think I wanted to create a sort of utopia where I would be the judge of everything, but as things progressed, I think I lost sight of my goal and turned into a power-obsessed teenager with a God-complex. But originally, I convinced myself that I was only killing for the good of the people, not for personal gain… Why?"

"I am trying to figure out why this Kira's motive is," L admitted. "I am curious as to why she would go to such trouble. Making contacts half-way around the world and such, just to commit murder…it is both disturbing and exhilarating to think about."

"Exhilarating?" questioned Light.

"This is probably the most fascinating, if not dangerous, case that I've ever been involved in," said L. "And, as I'm sure you know, I only accept cases that pique my interest. It is for my own amusement, if you want to put it that way. Not for justice, but for me personally. I don't know. I find a thrill in finding the answer to some of history's most confusing questions and attempting to break a case and predicting a suspect's moves is just…well, exhilarating to me. It's what I live for, Light…and you, I live for you, too." Placing a chaste kiss in the soft brown locks on the younger's head, L sighed. "I know I sound twisted and manipulative, but that is why I am such a good detective."

Light buried his face deeper into the elder's chest, "I understand completely. Back then, when I first discovered the Death Note, one of the things that kept me going was the sudden excitement that you get when you think you've thought of the perfect plan, a plan that nobody can figure out. It's stupid really, there's always somebody out there, like you, who was able to figure it out. I bet that's what this Kira is thinking right now, too."

"Really, Light," L teased. "It's awfully unlike you to just go and make statements like that."

"As an acquaintance once said to me, L," Light murmured, a mental image of Ryuk flashed in his mind. " 'Humans are so predictable'."

"Was this said by a shinigami?" L guessed.

Light smirked, "Right on, as always. The shinigami who had a penchant for apples and the same shinigami who I ended up learning a lot from…"

"Was this the also same one who also ended your life?" L asked, hugging the younger tighter to his chest.

"…Yes," Light breathed. "I know about the world of the unseen now. Every person with a Death Note is most likely in touch with a shinigami. And unless they have intimate connections with someone, shinigami do not show loyalty and are very likely to turn on you at any moment. We can use this to our advantage if we ever come into contact with one."

"Of course, Light." The detective reached to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.

The Yagami quirked an eyebrow, "You're not staying up?"

"No," L said. "I know I'm going to need to be at full awareness tomorrow. The success rate of this case could hinge on how well the rest of the interrogation goes…"

TBC

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